Thursday, February 22, 2007
In December 2003, the General Assembly of the United Nations requested the Secretary-General to prepare an in-depth study on global violence against women. This landmark study was presented to the General Assembly in September 2006 for consideration, the first time that the General Assembly has ever discussed this issue. The study highlights the persistence of all forms of violence against women in all parts of the world and the unacceptability of such violence, seeks to strengthen political commitments and joint efforts to prevent and eliminate violence against women, and identify ways and means for better and more sustained and effective implementation of Government commitments and obligations to combat all forms of violence against women and increase accountability.
This forum brought together a number of leading international human rights scholars and activists who work on global violence against women, including individuals who were involved with this study. They discussed the possibilities that this study presents for future work and assessed the obstacles that are presented.
The panelists were Charlotte Bunch, Founder and Executive Director, Center for Women's Global Leadership, Rutgers University; Vahida Nainar, International Women’s Human Rights Clinic, CUNY School of Law; and Lenora Lapidus, Director, American Civil Liberties Union Women's Rights Project.
Elizabeth Schneider, the Rose L. Hoffer Professor of Law and Director of the Edward V. Sparer Public Interest Law Fellowship Program, moderated the forum.
Read the Secretary-General's Study.
Read the speaker bios.
Read about the Edward V. Sparer Public Interest Law Fellowship Program.
View video from the event here.