Resources by Type
External Publications and Resources
The following is a list of publications and resources that have been created by other groups that we find relevant to the VNC Campaign. If you have a publications you would like to share with us, please write to:
Women leading change in the Muslim world: Islamic jurisprudence, human rights norms and CEDAW
The concept of nondiscrimination and equal rights for both men and women in all spheres of their lives as enshrined in the CEDAW Convention (1979) and all other Human Rights Frameworks generated a new realization and discourse in the Islamic world. The Universal Declaration on human Rights (1948) states in Article one that ‘all human beings are born free and equal in dignity and rights’. By ratification of these International human rights frameworks States parties are in obligation to domesticate these human rights standard in their own legal system.
At present about 187 states parties have ratified the CEDAW convention which is almost a universal ratification for the Convention. Except Iran, Sudan and Somalia all other Muslim countries have ratified or acceded to the CEDAW convention. Many of these Muslim countries imposed reservations under Article 28 of the convention on certain core Articles, such as Article 2, 16, 9 etc of the convention in the name of Islamic Sharia law.
Intimate Partner Violence: High costs to Households and Communities
ICRW and its partners, Bangladesh Institute of Development Studies (BIDS), Economic Policy Research Centre (EPRC) in Uganda and Hassan II University in Morocco, with support from UNFPA, undertook a three-country study in Bangladesh, Morocco and Uganda to estimate the economic costs of intimate partner violence at the household and community levels, where its impact is most direct and immediate. The focus on intimate partner violence was motivated by the fact that this is the most common form of violence against women. A household and community level analysis helps to shed light on intimate partner violence's relationship to both household economic vulnerability and the extent to which scarce public resources for essential health, security and infrastructure services are diverted due to such violence.
UK - Multi-Agency Practice Guidelines: Female Genital Mutilation
The United Kingdom Government released its of Multi-Agency Practice Guidelines: Female Genital Mutilation. Though female genital mutilation (FGM) in the UK is illegal, 24,000 British girls under the age of 15 still are in grave danger of FGM in its harshest form.
These guidelines seek to address this gap by providing recommendations, strategies, and support to professionals working with people affected by FGM.
UPR Submission on Sexual Rights in Tajikistan
Equal Opportunities (Tajikistan), LGBT Organization Labrys (Kyrgyzstan) and The Sexual Rights Initiative submitted report on Sexual Rights in Tajikistan for the 12th Round of the Universal Periodic Review in October 2011.
The Universal Periodic Review (UPR) is a new and unique mechanism of the United Nations which started in April 2008 and consisting of the review of the human rights practices of all States in the world, once every four years. For more details please visit web site .
More Under the Veil: Women and Muslim Fundamentalism in MENA
It is important to begin any discussion related to religious fundamentalism with an exploration of what is meant by the term “fundamentalism.” The word “fundamentalism” was originally coined in reference to a movement within the Protestant community of the United States in the early part of the 20th century. In the broadest sense, fundamentalism can be understood as “a selective retrieval and imposition of...[religious] law and sacred texts as the basis for a modern socio-political order” (Hardacre 1994:130).
A Toolkit for Intersecting Violences
This is a companion to the CAWN report Intersecting Violences (2010) by Patricia Muñoz Cabrera. The report provides a review of feminist theories and debates relating to violence and poverty as they affect women, with a focus on Latin America. In this Toolkit we provide some practical examples on how the intersectional analysis explored in the report is being put into practice on the ground.
‘He Loves You, He Beats You': Family Violence in Turkey and Access to Protection
Gaps in Law, Police Response, Put Urgently Needed Help Out of Reach. (Istanbul) May 4, 2011 -- Turkey's flawed family violence protection system leaves women and girls across the country unprotected against domestic abuse, Human Rights Watch said in a report released today. Life-saving protections, including court-issued protection orders and emergency shelters, are not available for many abuse victims because of gaps in the law and enforcement failures.
Global Consultation on Female Genital Mutilation/Cutting
This publication contains rich research findings concerning global trends and the prevalence of female genital mutilation/cutting and its linkages with maternal and newborn health. It describes changing patterns and practices, including medicalization, and analyzes the threat FGM/C poses to the achievement of Millennium Development Goals as well as its economic and health costs. It identifies important lessons and discusses in detail case studies as well as the application of theories as a basis for accelerating the abandonment process.
Yemen's dark side: Discrimination against violence against women and girls
Women in Yemen face systemic dicsrimination and endemic violence, with devastating consequences for their lives. Their rights are routinely violated because Yemeni laws as well as tribal and customary practices treat them as second class citizens.
Women’s and Children’s Rights: Making the Connection
The publication “Women’s and Children’s Rights: Making the Connection,” a joint effort by the United Nations Population Fund () and the United Nations Children’s Fund (), makes a case for linking the human rights of women to those of children. Today, these rights are still treated in an isolated manner, while there are actually practical arguments for considering them together, in particular because many human rights violations against women directly affect children and vice versa.