Women’s Rights and Gender Section (WRGS)

Highlights

Call for contributions for a report on discrimination against women in nationality-related matters, including the impact on children, pursuant to Human Rights Council Resolution 20/4.

Note Verbale: English - French - Spanish

Call for inputs pursuant to HRC resolution paragraph 12 of Human Rights Resolution 20/12: Accelerating efforts to eliminate all forms of violence against women: remedies for women who have been subjected to violence (A/HRC/20/L.11)

Recent meetings

Launch of the Technical Guidance on a Human Rights Based Approach to reducing Maternal Mortality and Morbidity, 14 September 2012, Geneva, Switzerland

Side-event at the 20th session of the UN Human Rights Council Violence against women and girls and disability
27 June 2012
Remarks by Ms. Mona Rishmawi, Chief of the Rule of Law, Equality and Non-Discrimination Branch

Expert Group meeting on women's rights to productive resources, with a focus on land
25-27 June 2012, Geneva Switzerland
Jointly organized with UN Women

Useful documentation and reports

OHCHR Gender Equality Policy (September 2011)

Reports to the Human Rights Council

Technical Guidance on the application of a human rights based approach to the implementation of policies and programmes for the reduction of preventable maternal mortality and morbidity (A/HRC/21/22) - E

Summary of the Human Rights Council panel discussion on the theme of remedies for women subjected to violence (A/HRC/21/65) - A E

Thematic study on the Issue of Violence against Women and Girls and Disability : Report of the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights - A/HRC/20/5 - A E C R S

Corrigendum - A/HRC/20/5/Corr.1 - E  

Good and effective practices in adopting a human rights based approach to eliminate preventable maternal mortality and morbidity - Report of the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights (A/HRC/18/27) - E

Corrigendum - A/HRC/18/27/Corr.1/Rev.1
E

Good practices in efforts aimed at preventing violence against women- Report of the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights - A/HRC/17/23

Discrimination against women, in law and practice, and how the issue is addressed throughout the United Nations human rights system- Thematic study of the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights - A/HRC/15/40

Integrating the human rights of women throughout the United Nations system - Report of the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights - A/HRC/12/46

Preventable Maternal Mortality and Morbidity and Human Rights - Report of the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights (HRC/14/39)

Responses to the Note Verbale on Human Rights Council Resolution 17/11: "Violence against women and girls and disability"

Governments
National Human Rights Institutions
Other Entities
UN Agencies

Note Verbale: English - French - Spanish
Questionnaire: English - French - Spanish

Contributions to OHCHR's technical guidance on the application of a human rights based approach to the reduction of preventable maternal mortality and morbidity

Governments
UN Agencies
Other Entities

Note Verbale: English - French - Spanish
Public Consultation, 13 April 2012

Contributions to OHCHR's Thematic Study on "Preventable Maternal Mortality and Morbidity and human rights" HRC/14/39:

Governments
Observers
UN Entities
NGOs and individuals

Note Verbale: English - French - Spanish

Responses to OHCHR's Note Verbale on good and effective practises to reduce Maternal Mortality and Morbidity

Governments
Human Rights Mechanisms
National Human Rights Institutions
UN Entities
NGOs and individuals

Note Verbale: English - French

Laws that discriminate against women

Commissioned report by OHCHR by Professor Fareda Banda

Integrating a gender perspective into the work of the Human Rights Council (HRC)

Key Resolutions:

* Resolution 6/30
* Resolution 11/8 Maternal Mortality and Morbidity
* Resolution 12/17 on the Elimination of discrimination against women

Annual discussion on the substantive human rights violations against women

Addressing Violence against Women: Setting Priorities (5 June 2008)

Summary of Recommendations and Oral statements 

Maternal Mortality and the human rights of women (5 June 2008)

Address of the HC
Summary of Recommendations and Oral statements

Equality before the Law (4 June 2009)

Address of the HC

Concept Paper

Summary of Recommendations and Oral statements

Annual discussions of the integration of a gender perspective in the work of the HRC

Annual discussion on the integration of a gender perspective in the work of the HRC (26 September 2011)

Annual discussion 28 September 2009 (UPR)

Annual discussion 12 September 2008 (Special Procedures)

Discussion on how to integrate a gender perspective in the work of the HRC (20 September 2007)

Side Events at the Human Rights Council organsied by WRGS

1. “A discussion on the elimination of violence against women in the work of the HRC” sponsored by the Missions of Canada, UK, France, Netherlands, Mexico, Uruguay, Chile, Argentina, Norway, Armenia, Australia, New Zealand, Hungary, Turkey, Republic of Korea and Tanzania (23 March 2007)
2. “UN Human  Rights and Gender Mainstreaming in Practice:  launching a toolkit by UNDP” sponsored by WRGU/OHCHR and UNDP (11 June 2007)
3. “Claiming Rights, Claiming Justice: A Guidebook on Women Human Rights Defenders” sponsored by Asia Pacific Forum on Women Law and Development (APWLD), Amnesty International, Center for Women’s Global Leadership, Forum Asia, Inform, International Service for Human Rights, the Observatory for the Protection of Human Rights Defenders (OMCT and FIDH) and Human Rights Watch (19 September 2007)
4. “Justice for Survivors of Sexual Violence and Armed Conflict and SC Resolution 1325” sponored by the Mission of Sweden, DCAF and WRGU/OHCHR (10 December 2007)
5. “Collateral Damage: the Impact of Anti-trafficking measures on Human Rights around the World” sponsored by the Global Alliance against Traffic in Women and WRGU/OHCHR (12 December 2007)
6. “Seeking Justice: has the way in which societies have been reconstructed after war actually provided access to justice for women?” Expert panel sponsored by WRGU/OHCHR (15 December 2008)
7. “Strengthening the Protection of Women from Torture: applying a gender-sensitive definition of torture” sponsored by SR Torture and WRGU (11 March 2008)
8. “Safe Schools: Every Girl’s Right” sponsored by Amnesty International and WRGU/OHCHR (19 March 2008)
9. “Human Rights Responses to Crimes committed in the Name of “Honour”” sponsored by the NGO Committee on the Status of Women’s Working Group on Violence against Women and Girls (26 March 2009)
10. “Double odds: WOMEN overcoming multiple discrimination” organized by the Women’s Rights and Gender Unit for the Durban Review Conference (21 April 2009)
    Information Note
    Event Flyer
    Feature story
    Opening statement by High Commissioner
    
11. “Human rights and sexual orientation and gender identity” sponsored by the Missions of Colombia,  Czech Republic, Ireland, the Netherlands and the USA (12 June 2009) Opening  statement by High Commissioner
12. “Combating Maternal Mortality: Why Bring Human Rights into the Picture?” sponsored by the Center for Reproductive Rights, International Initiative on Maternal Mortality and Human Rights, Averting Maternal Death and Disability Program (Mailman School of Public Health), Center for Women’s Global Leadership, DAWN, Human Rights Watch, International Alliance of Women, International Planned Parenthood Federation, IWRAW Asia Pacific, Ipas, Physicians for Human Rights, Youth Coalition for Sexual and Reproductive Rights, and the Sexual Rights Initiative  (5 June 2009)
13. “ A Modern Day Crucible” Witchcraft accusations against women and children in the 21st Century”, sponsored by the WRGU/OHCHR and UNHCR
14. "Ending Violence Against Women and Girls: Youth As Agents of Change" Friday, March 8, 13:00-15:00, Room XXIV, Palais des Nations, Geneva
    

See also:

Seeking justice for women in post conflict situations
UN Secretary-General’s Campaign to end Violence against Women
Committee on the Elimination of Discrimination against Women
Special Rapporteur on violence against women, its causes and consequence