Cuzco, Peru is an ancient capital of the Incan empire and a city where two out of three women suffer from sexual or physical violence, according to the World Health Organization. In fact, Cuzco retains one of the world’s highest rates of violence against women.

In 1999, one group began amission to turn back this trend. Today, CODECC (Coordinadora Departamental de Defensorías Comunitarias del Cusco) boasts over 500 members and volunteers, 25 percent of which are male.

CODECC advocates and empowers victims of violence by helping report incidents and by offering support through the legal process. The group currently has 65 units throughout six provinces.

Volunteer Elsa Mamani told IPS that in many cases where, “[Victims have been] threatened by aggressors, the police are not very sympathetic, and they’ll just write anything they want in the report. If a woman is beaten by her husband, they sometimes write up the report as if it were a case of mutual physical aggression.”

CODECC has gained international recognition and received awards from the Economic Commission for Latin America and the Caribbean (ECLAC) and the National Endowment for Democracy (NED).

“CODECC offers us an opportunity to better ourselves, to open up new spaces, give our opinions and say what we feel. This helps us recover our self-esteem. [This is the only way we] will win the battle against violence that is as ancient as our culture,” Mamani told IPS.

Cuzco Women Stand Up to Violence-IPS

New legislation granting women greater rights in Afghanistan will come to a vote by Parliament soon.

The Elimination of Violence Against Women Act was first proposed in 2004, but only signed this summer by President Karzai. It outlaws the trading of women to settle debt, spousal abuse, child marriages, and other forms of violence against women.

Although Parliament is expected to approve the legislation, many fear provisions will be “watered down” to allow for minimal punishment of those convicted for these crimes.

Organizations such as the Afghanistan Independent Human Rights Commission feel encouraged by this legislation but noted that it will take time for these rights to filter into traditional practices. However, if enacted, these laws will greatly aid women who take their cases to court.

Afghan legislation nudges women’s rights forward- AP

October 1 – Presiding Chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee Senator John Kerry (D-MA) joined Senators Ted Kaufman (D-DE) and Barbara Boxer (D-CA) in holding a hearing entitled ‘Violence Against Women: Global Costs and Consequences’, marking “the first time that violence against women, on a global scale, has been the subject of a hearing of the full Senate Foreign Relations Committee,” Senator Kerry said. On this “ground-breaking occasion,” as described by the Chairman, Senator Kerry announced that he plans to introduce the ‘International Violence Against Women Act’ (IVAWA). This bill intends to extend the principles of the Violence Against Women Act (VAWA), a bill with domestic focus passed in 1994, to the global sphere. Kerry explained:

“[IVAWA is] designed to put the machinery of our government to work on reducing global violence against women.”

Testimonies were heard from two panels, the first of which included Ambassador-at-Large for Global Women’s Issues Melanne Verveer and Ambassador-at-Large for War Crimes Issues Stephen Rapp. In her comments, Ambassador Verveer insisted, “the momentum is building for us to be able to make a clear and concrete difference in the lives of women and girls who are affected by gender-based violence.” Ambassador Rapp spoke on violence perpetrated against women and girls in conflict zones, suggesting that “internationalized mechanisms” are needed for prevention efforts and stating adamantly, “rape itself can be an act of genocide.”

The second panel consisted of various experts including Major General Patrick Cammaert, Deputy President of the International Crisis Group Donald Steinberg, President of the International Center for Research on Women Dr. Geeta Gupta, and President and Founder of the Family Violence Prevention Fund Esta Soler. Major General Cammaert, who has firsthand witnessed the brutality in conflict regions such as the Democratic Republic of Congo, said that sexual violence is “cheaper than bullets, more silent than bombs,” and thus increasingly a choice tactic for warring rebels. Mr. Steinberg shared his experience of peace negotiations in Angola, expressly stating that peace agreements have and will continue to fail if women are not included in peacebuilding processes. Dr. Gupta and Ms. Soler both noted the critical importance of engaging men and boys in a global effort to eradicate violence against women and girls. Domestic initiatives such as Coaching Boys into Men, which has proved very effective, must be scaled-up as part of a global commitment, said the experts. Ms. Soler urged that it is essential that a comprehensive, cohesive plan be implemented to address violence against women:

“It is time for a bold and transformative initiative…violence against women is an emergency every day.”

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Four organizations in India have launched the first “Domestic Violence Awareness Month”, which will now be observed every October.

Complimenting October 2, International Day of Non-Violence, four Indian organizations, Hyderabad viz. Save Indian Family Foundation, All India Forgotten Women, Rishtey and Children’s Rights Initiative for Shared Parenting, will use this month to educate the public on existing laws and needed reforms.

The campaign will feature a number of events including press conferences, cultural programs, flier distribution, and a national rally on October 25.

Domestic Violence Awareness Month – India

Ambassador-at-Large for Global Women’s Issues Melanne Verveer joined World Bank Managing Director Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala in launching Domestic Violence Awareness Month with a panel discussion on September 28 at the World Bank in Washington, D.C. In an event co-hosted by the International Monetary Fund (IMF) and the Inter-American Development Bank (IDB), Ambassador Verveer gave a keynote address in which she noted that “no nation is immune” from domestic violence, indeed “it is every nation’s problem.” Assessing the global scope and challenges posed by violence against women, the ambassador cited statistics which indicate that one in three women in the world face gender-based violence, in some regions this number grows to as many as 70 percent of women. Ambassador Verveer insisted that violence against women be met with a response that is commensurate with the seriousness of the situation:

“How we deal with the global scourge of violence against women will say a great deal about our future.”

The correlation between economic progress and women’s empowerment was noted by World Bank Managing Director Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala, who in her remarks urged that all recognize a shared obligation to address violence against women: “We are all in this together. The responsibility is all of ours.” The cycle of poverty and poor health perpetuated by violence must be broken, said Ambassador Verveer, citing established research that states women’s equality is a matter of smart economics. Economic growth and development are increasingly linked to an environment of gender equality, as are democratization and improved health.

In closing, Ambassador Verveer assured those gathered that “moderation will not prevail” in the face of such a challenge, rather that violence against women must be elevated as a priority on the global agenda. Affirming that every woman is owed the right to freedom from violence, wherever she may live, the ambassador expressed a need to scale-up methods and programs that have proven effective.

The “Domestic Violence Prevention and Protection Bill” was passed recently by the National Assembly in Pakistan, now awaiting approval by the Senate before becoming law. Pakistani news agency Dawn reports that “cheers from all sides of the house marked the passage of the bill” on August 4. In accordance with the legislation, domestic violence includes, but is not limited to, “all intentional acts of gender-based or other physical or psychological abuse committed by an accused against women, children or other vulnerable persons, with whom the accused person is or has been in a domestic relationship.”

The bill delegates responsibility for “operationalizing the provisions” of the measure to the federal government, while provincial governments will each “constitute a protection committee of two police officers and two women councilors and appoint a protection officer in each tehsil, or sub-district,” as Dawn reports.

NA bill outlaws domestic violence-Dawn

In 2007, progressive laws were passed in Sierra Leone to address sexual violence and reinforce women’s rights; in the two years since the adoption of these laws, sexual violence continues to pervade the nation, with “government and social services struggl[ing] to implement the laws,” as IRIN reports. The 2007 Gender Act criminalized violence against women and sexual abuse, both inside and outside of marriage. In speaking with government officials and local NGOs, IRIN reports that none could cite a case of the successful prosecution of perpetrators owing to the new law.

Fatu Kargbo, director of the Ministry of Social Welfare, Gender and Children’s Affairs, recently told IRIN that “up to 67 percent of urban Sierra Leonean women were victims of domestic violence in 2008.” A lack of adequate infrastructure and funding leaves counseling and treatment clinics without the capacity to respond to victims, one magistrate even attempts to serve 360,000 citizens. Many cases are dismissed even before entering the court, since medical certificates, required in rape cases, are very difficult to obtain with only one doctor for every 18,000 people, according to the World Health Organization.

The relatively new law has not yet been popularized, which NGO workers and government officials such as Isha Bangura, director of the police Family Support Unit, are trying to remedy. Bangura believes that despite gaps in capacity, political will is mounting to effectively address sexual violence. Coordination between various government agencies and the NGO field is seen as critical to responding to violence against women in Sierra Leone.

SIERRA LEONE: Sexual violence defies new law

The UN Population Fund (UNFPA) estimates that there may be as many as 5,000 women victims of honor killings annually, as IRIN news reports. Human Rights Watch (HRW) recently welcomed Syria’s move to enforce minimum prison sentences of two years for those convicted of honor killing, yet urges that more be done: “Two years is better than nothing, but it is hardly enough for murder. The Syrian government should punish all murders alike –no exceptions,” said Nadya Khalife, Middle East and North Africa women’s rights researcher at HRW.

Prior to the new Syrian policy, the penal code had allowed for an “’exemption of penalty’ for the killing of female family members who had been found committing ‘illegitimate sex acts’, and for the murder of wives having extramarital affairs,” as IRIN news describes. Syrian President Bashar al-Assad has since replaced the code with an article declaring that a man who “catches his wife, sister, mother or daughter by surprise, engaging in an illegitimate sexual act and kills or injures them unintentionally must serve a minimum of two years in prison.” Human rights advocates and organizations have called for the total abolition of the article, as well as provisions that allow for a judge to discriminate and adjust sentencing for crimes based on honor.

Without official records of honor killings, estimates serve to suggest that as many as 200 deaths occur each year in Syria, with 5,000 deaths occurring across the world.

As recently as this week, rights groups are condemning the murder of a 27-year-old mother of five in Gaza, who was killed by her father to “preserve the honor of the family,” as CNN reports.

SYRIA: Half measures against honour killings not enough – HRW-IRIN News

Rights groups decry Gaza ‘honor killing’-CNN News

A collaborative effort between national and UN agencies in Rwanda has led to the creation of a “one stop” center to provide support and services to victims of gender-based violence, as AllAfrica reports. To be based in Kigali, the center will offer medical, legal and psychosocial services to survivors of violence.

This endeavor follows a recent UNIFEM finding that existing processes for the reporting of sexual and gender-based violence were inadequate and perhaps further victimized those trying to report a crime. The Isange Center, which means “feel welcome and free” in a local dialect, will serve women and children with holistic support, as similar centers do in South Africa, Zambia and Kenya.

Rwanda: UN Agencies Help Set Up Support Centre for Survivors of Violence-AllAfrica

The Mozambican Parliament recently passed the state’s first bill on domestic violence; until now, domestic violence was not recognized as a unique crime, and had been treated as a case of assault. Maximum and minimum prison terms established for crimes of assault and the cause of grievous bodily harm were increased by one third for the new crime of domestic violence, as AllAfrica reports.

The new bill defines domestic violence as a “public crime,” which means that the prosecution of an offender does not depend upon the victim to file a complaint. Police and health authorities are now required to provide detailed reports of the injuries of the victim, and if the offender does not attend the trial, he or she will be tried in absentia. Further, the court may, even before trial, issue an injunction banning the offender from the victim’s house and suspending parental rights if he or she is a spouse of the victim.
Meque Vicente, chairperson of the Social Affairs Commission, which proposed the bill, addressed the purpose and overdue need for the bill: “We have already legislated to protect children. Now we should legislate to protect women.”

Passed unanimously and by acclamation, the bill will now appear before the plenary for a final vote in mid-July.

MOZAMBIQUE - ASSEMBLY PASSES BILL AGAINST DOMESTIC VIOLENCE-AllAfrica News