A/HRC/32/42
E.
Fundamentalism, extremism and violence against women
67.
On 15 January 2016, the Secretary-General presented his Plan of Action to Prevent
Violent Extremism to the General Assembly.15 Discussions have since been held on
exploring the intersection of conflict, violence and gender, and the need for governmental,
regional and multilateral organizations to include a gender perspective in all levels of
policy- and decision-making, particularly in efforts to address the threat of terrorism and
violent extremism. Against this backdrop, the Special Rapporteur proposes to examine the
connections between fundamentalism or extremism and gender-based violence against
women and its root causes.
F.
Capacity-building for legal professionals and law enforcement officials
on violence against women
68.
The Special Rapporteur notes the importance of capacity-building for legal
professionals and law enforcement officials, including members of the police, the
prosecution and the judiciary, and social workers, on regional and international human
rights instruments and institutions, in particular with regard to women’s human rights and
violence against women. Capacity-building should include the jurisprudence on violence
against women developed at the global and regional levels, and good practices to ensure
that, at the national level, laws are applied in accordance with international norms and
standards.
69.
The Special Rapporteur encourages the inclusion of equality between women and
men and violence against women as subjects of study in university curricula on law and
related fields, and in training of legal professionals, such as judges and law enforcement
officials. Training should include the international women’s human rights framework and
practical studies of the rich jurisprudence and case law on violence against women and the
obligation of States to take appropriate measures to modify or abolish customs and
practices that constitute discrimination against women and that affects women’s right to a
fair and just trial (see CEDAW/C/57/D/34/2011, para. 8.8).
G.
Online violence against women: a new challenge
70.
While the use of information and communications technology has contributed to the
empowerment of women and girls, its use has also generated online violence. In the view of
the Special Rapporteur, there is a need to examine this recent phenomenon, and the
applicability of national laws to it, and to make recommendations for States and non-State
actors to fight online violence against women and girls while respecting freedom of
expression and the prohibition of incitement to violence and hatred, in accordance with
article 20 of the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights.
H.
Focus on prevention and elimination of discriminatory laws and their
negative impact in perpetuating or contributing to violence against
women
71.
The Special Rapporteur regards the prevention of violence against women as an
aspect of the mandate that focuses on the elimination of the root causes of violence against
women, and its consequences. To that end, she has identified the main components that
15
18
See General Assembly resolution 70/254.
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