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Asia Pacific Forum on Women, Law and Development

Rashida Manjoo Is New UNSR VAW!

APWLD and various other women’s human rights organisations welcome the appointment by the United Nations Human Rights Council of Rashida Manjoo as the new UN Special Rapporteur (SR) on violence against women, its causes and consequences.

Rashida Manjoo is a South African legal practitioner as well as a member of Women Living Under Muslim Laws. She has been working in different capacities in various countries in Asia, Africa and the Middle East, including Algeria, Nigeria, Pakistan, Sri Lanka, as well as South Africa. At the same time, she has been participating as an expert in various contexts of international law, such as a Developer of Training Manual (Gender Aspects of the International Criminal Court) and Negotiating Team Member (Gender in the International Criminal Court -- 1998-2003). She is also a member of the Working Group on Optional Protocol to CEDAW, Women's Caucus for Gender Justice, New York (1998-2001) and an expert participant on Victims' Participation and Protection in the International Criminal Court, Government of France (1999).

She has been involved in a range of civil society initiatives for gender justice, across a wide spectrum of social and cultural contexts, including conflict situations in Africa and Asia. Her rich experience in dealing with various oversight mechanisms and institutions includes her project on UN Treaty Bodies and Gender Integration at Harvard College, as well as her Harvard University project on Gender Mechanisms. Within the area of violence against women, she was very active in South Africa and was involved in a number of projects, researches, working groups, particularly working on domestic violence and violence against women.

The women’s movement worked persistently and arduously to push for the creation of the UNSR on violence against women, its causes and consequences mandate. When it was created in 1994, it was a gain for women the world over. The key to the fulfillment of the SRVAW mandate has been consultations and cooperation with not just governments, UN bodies and other special mechanisms, academicians and research institutes but particularly with women’s groups and non-governmental organisations (NGOs).

As we welcome Rashida Manjoo to her new post, we are confident that the mandate will remain responsive to the women’s movement. Women’s human rights groups across Asia Pacific look forward to working in close collaboration with Rashida as we did with her predecessors.

APWLD is a regional women’s human rights network of 150 members in 23 countries of the Asia Pacific region committed to enabling women to use law as an instrument of social change, equality and development.

Asia Pacific Forum on Women, Law and Development

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189/3 Changklan Road, Amphoe Muang, Chiangmai 50100, THAILAND

Tel: (66-53) 284 527, 284 856; Fax: (66-53) 280 847;

Email: apwld@apwld.org;

Website: http://www.apwld.org

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