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Stop Violence Against Women - Website

	Stop Violence Against Women Website The Violence Against Women Monitor A publication of The Advocates for Human Rights May 2012
STOPVAW Website News	International and Regional News	National News	New Research and Reports
Expert’s Corner: Amina Filali and Violence Against Women in Morocco	Women Unite for Rights at AWID Forum	Afghanistan	New Web Resource on Building a Health System Response to Gender Violence in Eastern Europe and Central Asia
Updated StopVAW Pages: Subsections of the Mongolia Country Page	Input Invited for Annual Report of the Special Rapporteur on Violence against Women	Barbados
Updated StopVAW Page: Sexual Harassment section of the United States Country Page	Human Trafficking is Increasing in Europe	Bosnia and Herzegovina
		Hungary
		India
		Indonesia
		Mali
		Pakistan
		Papua New Guinea
		Russia
		Serbia
		Spain
		Turkey
		Uzbekistan
		United States

National VAW Monitors who contributed to this month’s newsletter include: Serbia.

Is your country in the process of drafting or amending a domestic violence law?

The Advocates for Human Rights provides commentary to laws and amendments on domestic violence upon request.

See examples of our Commentary on National Laws here.

Additionally, The Advocates for Human Rights works on domestic violence legal reform, including trainings for legal professionals and extensive research and reports that monitor domestic violence laws and implementation in partner countries. Learn more about this work.

To request commentary or to inquire further, please contact Cheryl Thomas at cthomas@advrights.org.

STOPVAW Website News

Expert’s Corner

Amina Filali and Violence Against Women in Morocco (More information)

StopVAW Pages Updated

As of May, 2012, the following sub-sections of the Mongolia country page have been updated: National Plan of Action, Legislative Trends and New Developments, and Treaties. (More information)

StopVAW Pages Updated

As of May, 2012, the United States Country Page has a new section on Sexual Harassment in Education. (More information)

International and Regional News

Women Unite for Rights at AWID Forum

Women from all over the world participated in the 12^th International AWID Forum on Women’s Rights and Development in Istanbul, Turkey on April 19 – 22.

(More information)

Input Invited for Annual Report of the Special Rapporteur on Violence against Women

The Special Rapporteur on Violence against Women, its Causes and Consequences, Rashida Manjoo, will focus her 2013 report on the “Due Diligence Obligation to address Violence against Women.” (More information)

Human Trafficking on Increase in Europe

Human trafficking is increasing in Europe, according to Eurojust, the European Union’s crime-fighting unit. However, the number of cases being brought against traffickers is grossly inadequate when compared to the number of victims. (More information)

National News

Afghanistan

· Afghanistan: Women Sentenced for ‘Moral Crimes’ (More information)

· Afghanistan: Schoolgirls Poisoned by Conservative Radicals (More information)

Barbados

· Barbados: UN High Commissioner Urges Legislative Measures to Combat Gender Violence and Discrimination (More information)

Bosnia and Herzegovina

· Bosnia and Herzegovina: Amnesty International Reports Lack of Justice and Services for Wartime Rape Survivors (More information)

Hungary

· Hungary: Court Rules in Significant Rape Case (More information)

India

· India: Pregnancy and Malnutrition Pose Grave Health Risks for Child Brides (More information)

Indonesia

· Indonesia: Attitudes and Inadequate Services Harm Survivors of Sexual Violence (More information)

Mali

· Mali: Surge in Sexual Assaults Amid Renewed Fighting (More information)

Pakistan

· Pakistan: Parliament Adopts Resolution to Strengthen Laws on Acid Crimes (More information)

· Pakistan: Acid Attacks Common Even After New Law (More information)

Papua New Guinea

· Papua New Guinea: Victims of Sexual Violence Also Forced from School (More information)

· Papua New Guinea: HIV Risk for Women Increased by Violence and Accusations of Witchcraft (More Information)

· Papua New Guinea: High Maternal Mortality Rates (More information)

Russia

· Russia: Petition for Adoption of Federal Law on Domestic Violence (More information)

Serbia

· Serbia Adopts General Protocol on the Procedures and Cooperation of Institutions, Agencies and Organizations in Cases of Domestic Violence against Women (More information)

Spain

· Spain: Growing Number of Women Trafficked for Sex Tourism (More information)

Turkey

· Turkey: New Domestic Violence Law (More information)

Uzbekistan

· Uzbekistan: Women Sterilized Without Consent or Knowledge (More information)

United States

· United States: New Initiative for Global Grants to Fight Gender-Based Violence Announced (More information)

· United States: Department of Defense Provides New Options, Resources for Sexual Assault Victims (More information)

· United States: President Calls on Federal Agencies to Assist Employees who are Victims of Domestic Violence (More information)

· United States: Florida Woman Faces Jail after Defending Herself from Abusive Husband (More information)

· United States: Sexually-Harassed Teen Wins Suit (More information)

New Research and Reports

New Web Resource on Building a Health System Response to Gender Violence in Eastern Europe and Central Asia

A new website developed jointly by the United Nations Population Fund and Women against Violence Europe Network provides resources for health professionals working in the region to develop an integrated health system response to gender-based violence. (More information)

Subscribe to The VAW Monitor

The VAW Monitor is a free, monthly newsletter sent out on the first of each month. Printable versions of The VAW Monitor are also available on the website at http://www.stopvaw.org/The_VAW_Monitor.html.

To subscribe to The VAW Monitor, please fill out the form provided at http://www.stopvaw.org/The_VAW_Monitor.html.

About STOPVAW

The Stop Violence Against Women website (STOPVAW) is a forum for information, advocacy and change. The Advocates for Human Rights developed this website as a tool for the promotion of women's human rights in the countries of Central and Eastern Europe (CEE) and the former Soviet Union (FSU), Mongolia, and the U.N. Protectorate of Kosovo. STOPVAW was developed with support from and in consultation with the United Nations Development Fund for Women (UNIFEM) and the Open Society Institute's Network Women's Program. This site addresses violence against women as one of the most pervasive human rights abuses worldwide. STOPVAW provides women's rights advocates with information and advocacy tools focused on ending the most endemic forms of violence against women in the region, including domestic violence, sexual assault, sexual harassment and trafficking in persons.

Current staff members of The Advocates for Human Rights involved with the development of STOPVAW include: Mary Ellingen, Beatriz Menanteau, Mary O’Brien, Rosalyn Park, Robin Phillips, Helen Rubenstein, and Cheryl Thomas. Current interns and volunteers include Britt Johnson, Alison Schmidt, and Lauren Woodbury.

For more information about STOPVAW, please contact the Website Administrator at stopvaw@advrights.org.