WUNRN
UN Special Rapporteur on Freedom of
Religion or Belief
2009 Interim Report to the United
Nations General Assembly
Multiple Inclusions on Application
of a Gender Perspective
D. Application of a Gender
Perspective
59. In its
resolution 6/37, the Human Rights Council invited the Special Rapporteur to
continue to apply a gender perspective, inter alia, through the identification
of
gender-specific abuses, in the reporting process, including in information
collection
and
in recommendations. Since 1996, relevant resolutions of the Commission on
Human Rights and the Human Rights Council have also condemned acts motivated
by
religious intolerance in all its forms, including practices which violate the
human
rights of women and discriminate against women.
60. In the framework of
the mandate and on the basis of the activities carried out since
her
appointment in July 2004, the Special Rapporteur has highlighted that many
women suffer from aggravated discrimination, due to their religious, ethnic and
sexual identities. Citizenship laws in a number of countries discriminate
against
women and their children because these regulations stipulate that mothers have
fewer rights than fathers to transmit nationality. Discrimination and practices
that
are harmful to the health of women and girls are also applied within their
religious
communities for reasons of religious traditions or those ascribed to religion.
Furthermore, there have been reports of arrests, flogging, forced conversion
and
even murders targeted specifically at women in the context of intolerance based
on religion or belief. Female members of minority religions also tend to be
prone
to become victims of rape and violence stirred up by organized groups.
61.The Special
Rapporteur also notes with regret that women continue to be largely
excluded from the decision-making processes within most religious communities.
This
process is indeed usually a monopoly for men. In order to exercise their full
human
rights, women therfore have to negotiate with religious beliefs and traditional
values, often within their own communities. Similarly, at a time when much
emphasis is put on inter-religious dialogue, the absence of women's voices in
that
dialogue is striking. The work that must be carried out to redress the
situation
remains important and will require energy at all levels. In this context, the
Special
Rapporteur would like to refer to General Assembly resolution 63/181, in which
the
Assembly emphasizes the importance of a continued and strengthened dialogue
among and within religions or beliefs, at all levels and with broader
participation,
including of women, to promote greater tolerance, respect and mutual
understanding.
62. Another issue of
concern is the number of reservations made by several States
when ratifying human rights instruments, in particular the Convention on the
Elimination
of All Forms of Discrimination against Women, for example when
referring to the incompatibility of some of its provisions with religiously
inspired
national legislation. In his study on freedom of religion or belief and the
status of
women
from the viewpoint of religion and traditions, the previous mandate-holder
discussed this problem in more detail. With reference to this study, the
Special
Rapporteur
is pleased to inform that, in line with the Commission on Human Rights
resolution 2004/36 and her recommendation, the study will be available in all
six
official
languages of the United Nations later in 2009.
63.The Special Rapporteur
intends to continue devoting particular attention to
discriminatory
practices against women on the basis of their religion or belief. In
this regard, she has sent joint communications with other special procedures
mandate-holders and has included subchapters on the specific situation of women
in recent country reports.
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