A/HRC/20/16 I. Introduction 1. The present report, submitted pursuant to Human Rights Council resolution 16/7, is the third thematic report submitted to the Council by the Special Rapporteur on violence against women, its causes and consequences, Rashida Manjoo, since her appointment in June 2009. Chapter II summarizes the Special Rapporteur‘s activities since her previous report to the Council up until 20 March 2012. Chapters III to V address the topic of genderrelated killings of women. II. Activities A. Country visits 2. During the period under review, the Special Rapporteur requested invitations to visit Bosnia and Herzegovina, Croatia, India and Venezuela (Bolivarian Republic of). Earlier requests for country visits were also reiterated to the Governments of Bangladesh, Nepal, Turkmenistan, Uzbekistan and Zimbabwe. 3. The Special Rapporteur visited Jordan, from 11 to 24 November 2011 (see A/HRC/20/16/Add.1); Italy, from 15 to 26 January 2012 (A/HRC/20/16/Add.2); and Somalia, from 9 to 16 December 2011 (A/HRC/20/16/Add.3). In addition, she visited Solomon Islands, from 12 to 16 March 2012, and Papua New Guinea, from 18 to 26 March 2012. The Special Rapporteur would like to thank these Governments for having responded positively to her requests for a visit and urges the Governments that have not yet done so to provide a favourable response. B. Communications and press releases 4. The communications sent to Governments during the reporting period (see the joint communications report, A/HRC/20/30) concerned a wide array of issues that reflect a pattern of inequality and discrimination relating to violence against women, its causes and consequences. These included: arbitrary detention; torture or cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment or punishment; summary and extrajudicial executions; sexual violence, including rape, sexual abuse and sexual exploitation; and other forms of violence grounded in discrimination against women. 5. The Special Rapporteur issued numerous press statements, either individually or jointly with other mandate holders. C. General Assembly and Commission on the Status of Women 6. In October 2011, the Special Rapporteur presented her first written report to the General Assembly (A/66/215). It contained an overview of the mandate‘s work and main findings, and the challenges that continue to be identified. 7. In the report, the Special Rapporteur described how the mandate has analysed violence against women in four main spheres: violence in the family; violence in the community; violence that is perpetrated or condoned by the State; and violence that occurs in the transnational sphere. She then analysed States‘ obligations, under international human rights law, to prevent and respond to all acts of violence against women. 3