STOPVAW Website News



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Stop Violence Against Women Website

The Violence Against Women Monitor

A publication of Minnesota Advocates for Human Rights

June 2005 | |

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|STOPVAW Website News |National VAW Monitor |International |National |New Research |

| |Program |& Regional News |News |and Reports |

|Expert’s Corner: Comments|[pic] Armenia National |New Draft Resolution on |"Best Help for Rape |Freedom House Report |

|on the Hungarian Domestic|VAW Monitor Contribution |Integration of the Human |Victims Act" Seeks to |Labels the World's Most |

|Violence Case before | |Rights of Women and the |Correct U.S. DOJ Sexual |Repressive Societies |

|CEDAW: | |Gender Perspective |Assault Treatment | |

| | | |Guidelines | |

|Expert’s Corner: The Law |[pic] Azerbaijan National|Online Discussion on |Forcible Bridal Abduction|CIVICUS Report Studies |

|on Protection against |VAW Monitor Contribution |Technology and Violence |is Subject of National |Punishment of Domestic |

|Domestic Violence in | |Against Women |Debate in Kyrgyzstan |Violence in the Czech |

|Bulgaria: Insights and | | | |Republic |

|History | | | | |

| |[pic] Bosnia and |Austrian Authorities |Medical Volunteers Heal |New Report on Roma, Sinti|

|New STOPVAW section: |Herzegovina National VAW |Break up European Human |the Physical Scars of |and Travelers from |

|Turkey Country Page |Monitor Contribution |Trafficking Network |Domestic Violence |Council of Europe |

| |[pic] Bulgaria National |Council of Europe Holds |Poland Adopts Law on |New Report on Problems |

|New STOPVAW section: |VAW Monitor Contribution |Summit for Unification of|National Minorities |with NGO Registration in |

|Azerbaijan Ethnic | |Human Rights Standards | |Azerbaijan from OSCE |

|Minorities | | | | |

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| |[pic] Croatia National |Development Company |Romania Ratifies EU |OSI Releases New Report |

| |VAW Monitor Contribution |Places Women at the Heart|Accession Treaty |on Gender Equality in New|

| | |of New Projects | |EU Member States and |

| | | | |Accession Countries |

| |[pic] Kazakhstan National|European NGOs Collaborate|Bulgarian Court Removes |Online Course on Sex |

| |VAW Monitor Contribution |to Combat Trafficking |First Batterer from Home |Trafficking |

| | | |under New Domestic | |

| | | |Violence Law | |

| |[pic] Lithuania National |Women's Human Rights |Turkey Begins National |ILO Releases New Study on|

| |VAW Monitor Contribution |Training Announced |Campaign to End Honor |Forced Labor Worldwide |

| | | |Killings | |

| |[pic] Slovakia National |Women Have Surgery to |Spain: Authorities Must |New Report: One Life Lost|

| |VAW Monitor Contribution |Avoid Honor Killings |Act Effectively Now to |as a Result of Domestic |

| | | |Protect Women's Rights in|Violence is One Too Many |

| | | |the Home | |

| | |CESCR Completes |Two men arrested in |Amnesty International |

| | |Concluding Comments for |Michigan for Human |Report Criticizes Human |

| | |Serbia and Montenegro |Trafficking |Trafficking in Moldova |

| | |Committee Against Torture|Mongolia Hosts Meeting on| |

| | |Issues Conclusions on |Forced Labor | |

| | |Albania Report | | |

| | |UNCHR adopts Resolution |Pervasive Domestic Abuse | |

| | |on the Rights of Victims |in Turkey | |

| | |of Violations of Human | | |

| | |Rights Law and | | |

| | |Humanitarian Law | | |

| | |OSCE Holds Conference on |Women Speak Out about | |

| | |Trafficking in Belgrade |Domestic Violence on | |

| | | |Turkish Talk Shows | |

| | | |Uzbekistan: Andijon | |

| | | |Events seen through | |

| | | |Women's Eyes | |

| | | |Communication is Limited | |

| | | |after Protest in | |

| | | |Uzbekistan Leads to a | |

| | | |Violent Confrontation | |

| | | |Bosnia and Herzegovina | |

| | | |Passes New Law on | |

| | | |Protection from Domestic | |

| | | |Violence | |

| | | |Hotline for Victims of | |

| | | |Domestic Violence Opens | |

| | | |in Dupnica | |

The full text of The National VAW Monitor will be available at .

|STOPVAW Website News |

|Expert’s Corner: Hungarian Domestic Violence Case before CEDAW: Victory or Another Pile of Papers for the Archives |

|Julia Spronz, an NVAW monitor for Hungary, comments on the Hungarian Domestic Violence case heard before CEDAW under the optional |

|protocol. This case is the first case involving domestic violence to be addressed on its merits. Ms. Spronz analyzes the Hungarian |

|government’s response to the Committee’s recommendations. (More information) |

|Expert’s Corner: The Law on Protection against Domestic Violence in Bulgaria: Insights and History |

|Genoveva Tisheva of the Bulgarian Gender Research Foundation, comments on the history of the work leading to the adoption on the |

|Law on Protection against Domestic Violence in Bulgaria. (More information) |

|New STOPVAW Section: Turkey Country Page |

|A Turkey country page section has been added to STOPVAW. In addition to the main page, the Turkey country page includes sections on|

|research and reports, treaties, reporting schedule, list of law and policy documents, women’s NGOs and a message board. (More |

|information) |

|New STOPVAW Section: Azerbaijan Ethnic Minorities |

|A new section describing ethnic minorities in Azerbaijan is now available (More information). |

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|National VAW Monitor Program |

|Armenia |

|Trends in media monitoring (More information) |

|Peace Coalition Meeting (More information) |

|The 49th Expanded Session of the Commission on the Status of Women (More information) |

|Azerbaijan |

|Azeri language link to IRC report in Research and Reports (More information) |

|Azeri language link to press release about Asian Baku of Development conference (More information) |

|Bosnia and Herzegovina |

|English translation of Domestic Violence law (More information) |

|Press Release and Media Invitation for Forum and Press Conference on Trafficking (More information) |

|Bulgaria |

|Seventh Annual Meeting of Non-Governmental Organizations, Working on Equal Opportunities and Women's Issues (More information) |

|Bulgarian Court Removes First Batterer from Home under New Law on Protection against Domestic Violence (More information) |

|Hotline for Victims of Domestic Violence Opens in Dupnica (More information) |

|Croatia |

|“Stop trafficking in human beings” (More information) |

|National Programme for Suppression of Trafficking in Persons 2005-2008 and Action Plan for 2005 (More information) |

|Kazakhstan |

|A new profile for the Feminist League, Kazakhstan’s National VAW Monitor, has been added to website (More information). |

|Lithuania |

|Human Rights Monitoring Institute 2004 Report on Human Rights in Lithuania (More information) |

|Slovakia |

|Trends in criminal prosecution of violence against a closely related or dependent person (More information) |

|Section 215: Violence against closely related or dependent persons (More information) |

|New logo (More information) |

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|International and Regional News |

|New Draft Resolution on Integration of the Human Rights of Women and the Gender Perspective |

|On 15 April, 2005, the UN Commission on Human Rights released a draft resolution on Integration of the Human Rights of Women and |

|the Gender Perspective. The resolution reaffirms states’ obligations to address issues of violence against women under |

|international law. The resolution focuses particular attention on violence against women and HIV/AIDS, and on the human rights |

|abuses to women in armed conflict. (More information) |

|Online Discussion on Technology and Violence Against Women |

|An online discussion drew people together to discuss the role of technology in violence against women. (More information) |

|Austrian Authorities Break up European Human Trafficking Network |

|After a nearly year long investigation, Austrian officials arrested 59 of 64 suspects in a European ring that smuggled an estimated|

|5000 immigrants into Europe. Immigrants were subject to life-threatening situations during the journey. (More information) |

|Council of Europe Holds Summit for Unification of Human Rights Standards |

|Heads of states and governments of 46 European countries met in Warsaw for a summit to discuss human rights. Delegates expressed |

|concern that multiple human rights organizations addressing similar issues creates overlap and inefficiency. As a solution a |

|unified system of rights in Europe was called for. (More information) |

|Development Company Places Women at the Heart of New Projects |

|GTZ, Germany’s biggest development aid company has taken approaches to ensure that women are at the heart of new development |

|projects. The company has a goal of using the Milllenium Development Goals (MDGs) as a framework in each development project they |

|undertake. Although some of the programs might not be directly related to women’s issues, but they have positive impact on women’s|

|rights. (More information) |

|European NGOs Collaborate to Combat Trafficking |

|The European Women’s Lobby in conjunction with the Coalition against Trafficking in Women started to implement its project |

|“Promoting preventative measures to combat trafficking in human beings for sexual exploitation.” The project will support women’s |

|NGOs and groups that work on the gaps in anti-trafficking programs in twelve countries of Eastern Europe and CIS. (More |

|information) |

|Women’s Human Rights Training Announced |

|The Swedish International Development Cooperation Agency (Sida) is organizing an advanced international training program called the|

|Regional Programme on Human Rights of Women 2005. In the intensive training, held in Sweden and Ukraine, participants will be given|

|an overview of international human rights law as it pertains to women. (More information) |

|Women Have Surgery to Avoid Honor Killing |

|Doctors have reported an increase in the number of women having surgery to repair hymens and give the appearance of virginity. Many|

|women who undergo this surgery are doing so to avoid being a victim of an honor killing. |

|(More information) |

|CESCR Completes Concluding Comments for Serbia and Montenegro |

|The Committee noted that Serbia and Montenegro must undertake reform efforts to ensure gender equality and to provide protection |

|for victims of sexual and physical abuse as well as for victims of trafficking. (More information) |

|Committee Against Torture Issues Conclusions on Albania Report |

|The Committee Against Torture reviewed Albania’s report on the implementation of the Convention Against Torture. It expressed |

|concern about the ongoing prevalence of violence against women and called on Albania to establish means to address the problem. |

|(More information) |

|UNCHR adopts Resolution on the Rights of Victims of Violations of Human Rights Law and Humanitarian Law |

|The UNHCR adopted principles and guidelines for victims to follow when making a claim based on a violation of human rights or |

|humanitarian law. The report provides a model for countries to use to implement existing international law. (More information) |

|OSCE Holds Conference on Trafficking in Belgrade |

|OSCE called on countries to review the mechanisms currently used to combat trafficking in human beings and applauded the efforts of|

|Serbia and Montenegro to implement an effective legal framework. (More information) |

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|National News |

|"Best Help for Rape Victims Act" Seeks to Correct U.S. DOJ Sexual Assault Treatment Guidelines |

|The “Best Help for Rape Victims Act” was introduced into the United States Congress to require the Department of Justice to include|

|information about emergency contraception in the new national guidelines for treatment of sexual assault victims. (More |

|information) |

|Forcible Bridal Abduction is Subject of National Debate in Kyrgyzstan |

|In Kyrgyzstan, the wide-spread practice of bridal abduction is the focus societal debate in the wake of a documentary on the |

|practice and a University professor’s study of the issue. Kyrgyzstan was admonished by the Committee on the Elimination of |

|Discrimination Against Women to address the issue and to enforce existing criminal prohibitions of the practice. (More information)|

|Medical Volunteers Heal the Physical Scars of Domestic Violence |

|Surgeons and Dentists are volunteering their time to provide free facial and dental reconstructive surgeries to victims of domestic|

|violence. The Face to Face: Domestic Violence project and the Give Back a Smile project give victims a chance to heal emotional |

|scars. (More information) |

|Poland Adopts Law on National Minorities |

|After fourteen years of debate on the issue, a new law in Poland grants special rights to minorities. The law gives minority |

|populations the right to learn their native language and use it in their private and public lives and where a minority population |

|constitutes at least 20% of the total population, its language can be used in public offices and as names of localities, sites and |

|streets. (More information) |

|Romania Ratifies EU Accession Treaty |

|On 17 May 2005, Romania's parliament voted unanimously to ratify the EU accession treaty that was signed on 25 April. Romania has |

|agreed to undertake particular reform efforts and must meet the terms of the accession treaty to become a full member in 2007, as |

|projected. (More information) |

|Bulgarian Court Removes First Batterer from Home under New Domestic Violence Law |

|The regional court in Russe ordered for a first time after the Law on Protection against Domestic Violence had been adopted a |

|spouse to be removed from the family home for a period of one year and to not approach his wife and children for the same period. |

|(More information) |

|Turkey Begins National Campaign to End Honor Killings |

|Turkey has begun a national campaign to end honor killings. According to Turkish government statistics in 2004, forty-three women |

|were murdered in “honor killings.” New legal changes have been implemented to attempt to address the problem. (More information)|

|Spain: Authorities Must Act Effectively Now to Protect Women's Rights in the Home |

|In its recent release Amnesty International called the government of Spain to act more effectively to protect women from violence |

|in their home. According to the report survivors of domestic violence face considerable obstacles in getting help, protection and|

|justice. (More information) |

|Two Men Arrested in Michigan for Human Trafficking |

|On 15 February 2005, Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents arrested two men, one a US citizen and one a citizen of Lithuania |

|for subjecting Ukrainian women to forced labor. (More information) |

|Mongolia Hosts Meeting on Forced Labor |

|On 25 and 26 May 2005, the Government of Mongolia and the International Labor Organization (ILO) will held a meeting for |

|representatives from ten Asian Countries. The effects of forced labor and methods to eradicate the practice faster will be |

|discussed. (More information) |

|Pervasive Domestic Abuse in Turkey |

|Domestic abuse continues to flourish in Turkish society. Amnesty International estimates that up to one-half of women are subjected|

|to family violence and the current administration is unwilling to undertake legislative reform. (More information) |

|Women Speak Out about Violence on Turkish Talk Shows |

|Turkish women are using daytime talk shows to talk about personal experiences of domestic violence. After one fatal shooting and |

|one near-fatal shooting, there is a debate about the value of discussing these issues on national television. (More information) |

|Uzbekistan: Andijon Events seen through Women’s Eyes |

|Women who participated in the protests in Andijon tell their story about fleeing the violence and living in refugee camps. (More |

|information) |

|Communication is Limited after Protest in Uzbekistan Leads to a Violent Confrontation |

|A protest in Andijan on 13 May 2005 left hundreds dead when government forces fired upon the demonstrators. Since the violent |

|incident, the government has clamped down on communication coming into and leaving the country. (More information) |

|Bosnia and Herzegovina Passes New Law on Protection from Domestic Violence |

|Bosnia and Herzegovina passed a new Law on Protection from Domestic Violence on 29 March 2005. The new law defines domestic |

|violence and lists various acts that constitute domestic violence. (More information) |

|Hotline for Victims of Domestic Violence Opens in Dupnica |

|The Knowledge, Success, Change Association set up a volunteer run hotline, which started at the beginning of 2005. Volunteers are |

|trained to deal with female victims of domestic violence who call the hotline seeking assistance. (More information) |

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|New Research and Reports |

|Freedom House Report Labels the World's Most Repressive Societies |

|Freedom House in a recent report labeled Belarus, Russia (Chechnya), Turkmenistan and Uzbekistan as amongst the most repressive |

|regimes in the world. (More information) |

|CIVICUS Report Studies Punishment of Domestic Violence in the Czech Republic |

|This report by CIVICUS looks at a campaign on domestic violence as a case study of the effectiveness of civic society in the Czech |

|Republic. (More information) |

|New Report on Roma, Sinti and Travelers in Europe |

|The Council of Europe’s Commissioner for Human Rights has published a new report on the status of Roma, Sinti and travelers in |

|Europe. Among other issues, the report includes a section on trafficking in persons. (More information). |

|New Report on Problems with NGO Registration in Azerbaijan from OSCE |

|A new report from OSCE describes the continuing problems associated with the registration of NGOs in Azerbaijan. The report |

|documents the situation of NGOs since the adoption of the 2003 law on State Registration and State Register of Legal Entities. |

|(More information) |

|OSI Releases New Report on Equal Opportunities for Women and Men in EU New Member States and Accession Countries |

|The Open Society Institute has released a report examining gender equality in new Member States and Accession Countries of the |

|European Union. Countries examined include: Bulgaria, Czech Republic, Estonia, Hungary, Lithuania, Poland, Romania, Slovakia, |

|Turkey. The report also examines the situation of Romani women. (More information) |

|Online Course on Sex Trafficking |

|The University of Rhode Island is offering an online course in sex trafficking called Advanced Topics in Sex Trafficking. The |

|course cover wide range of topics related to trafficking for sexual exploitation. (More information) |

|ILO Releases New Study on Forced Labor Worldwide |

|The study finds that more than 12 million people are trapped in forced labor, including 2.45 million who are victims of trafficking|

|in persons (More information) |

|New Report: One Life Lost as a Result of Domestic Violence is One Too Many |

|The Hennepin County Fatality Review Team has released its annual report. The Report, based on the review of domestic violence |

|related homicides, offers a series of case observations and opportunities for intervention to help save the lives of victims of |

|domestic violence. (More information) |

|Amnesty International Report Criticizes Human Trafficking in Moldova |

|In its annual report, Amnesty highlighted the problem of human trafficking in Moldova and indicated that many of the women and |

|girls who are victims of trafficking are also victims of domestic violence before they are trafficked and after they return. (More |

|information) |

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|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 . |

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|To subscribe to The VAW Monitor, please fill out the form provided at . |

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|About STOPVAW |

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|The Stop Violence Against Women website (STOPVAW) is a forum for information, advocacy and change.  Minnesota 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 Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS), 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.|

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|Current staff members of Minnesota Advocates for Human Rights involved with the development of STOPVAW include Mary Hunt, Laura |

|Nelson, Rosalyn Park, Robin Phillips, and Cheryl Thomas. Current interns and volunteers include Amy Albus, Katharine Horowitz, |

|Julia Kashaeva, Joseph Montgomery. |

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

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