| Violence against women violates, impairs and nullifies | | | | and other measures, including national information and |
| the enjoyment by women of their human rights and | | | | awareness-raising campaigns do help address this |
| fundamental freedoms. All human beings are born | | | | problem In addition to the existence of laws, |
| free and equal in dignity and rights. They are | | | | mechanisms for enforcing rights and redressing |
| endowed with reason and conscience and should act | | | | violations are also of crucial importance. Recent |
| towards one another in a spirit of brotherhood. | | | | developments at the national, regional and |
| Violence against women is a violation of human rights | | | | international levels, in the prosecution of those |
| that cannot be justified by any political, religious, or | | | | responsible for violence against women are very |
| cultural claim. A global culture of discrimination against | | | | important steps in the fight against impunity, not only |
| women allows violence to occur daily and with | | | | because the perpetrators are brought to justice, but |
| impunity. | | | | also because of the general deterrent effect such |
| Women rights are human rights and are an inalienable | | | | developments will hopefully have. |
| part of universal human rights and form an integral | | | | Violence against women and girls continues in the |
| part of the human rights activities of the United | | | | family, in the community, and is perpetrated and/or |
| Nations, including the promotion of all human rights | | | | condoned in many countries. Violence is a |
| instruments relating, directly or indirectly, to women. | | | | multifaceted problem, with no simple or single solution. |
| Since the creation of the mandate on violence | | | | Violence must be addressed on multiple levels and in |
| against women, its causes and consequences, later | | | | multiple sectors of society simultaneously, taking |
| on, the world has achieved greater awareness and | | | | direction from local people on how women's rights |
| understanding of gender-based violence and more | | | | may be promoted in a given context. |
| effective measures are being developed to confront | | | | Working on the improvement of data and statistics |
| the problem. The international community has made | | | | on violence against women and adopting special |
| great strides in setting standards and elaborating a | | | | legislation that guarantees equal protection of the law |
| legal framework for the promotion and protection of | | | | and enforcement of its provisions will help treating |
| women from violence. While at the normative level | | | | this worldwide problem. Governments can put in place |
| the needs of women are generally adequately | | | | the building blocks of a system that can respond |
| addressed, the challenge lies in ensuring respect for | | | | more effectively to gender-based violence. The |
| and effective implementation of existing law and | | | | allocation of resources, support to research and |
| standards. Much more remains to be done to create | | | | documentation on causes and consequences of |
| and sustain an environment where women can truly | | | | gender-based violence, education and prevention |
| live free from gender-based violence. | | | | programs to support efforts to increase community |
| There are many efforts at standard-setting and | | | | responsibility, making information on women's rights |
| norm creation at the international level. The array of | | | | readily available and creating partnerships between |
| activities and initiatives taken aimed at the elimination | | | | Governments and NGOs are also necessary and |
| of violence against women, including the adoption of | | | | important steps to prevent the violence against |
| amendments to relevant laws, and educational, social | | | | women. |