Publications

Violence against women is a violation of their human rights. It has profound psychological and physical effects that can result in permanent disability and death. More than one in three women become victims of violence in their lifetime. According to WHO, nearly one third of all women have been physically and/or sexually violated by their intimate partner and almost 40% of all murders of women worldwide are committed by their partners. As recognized in the Universal Declaration on Human Rights and reaffirmed in multiple international conventions and regional agreements, all human beings have the right to bodily integrity and to be free from violence. In 2011, United Nations Member States recognized the link between HIV and violence against women, with a call to end gender-based abuse and violence.

The survey attempted to take advantage of Nepal’s attempt to include a third gender category in its national census, the first such attempt in the world. Nearly 1,200 respondents were recruited by trained BDS outreach workers whose aim was to study the identity, demographics, and experiences of sexual and gender minorities in Nepal. The study participants came from 32 of Nepal’s 75 districts, spoke Nepali, Bhojpuri, and Maithill, were primarily Hindu, and included individuals from 150 caste and ethnic groups.  The survey reveals that LGBT people in Nepal continue to face a wide range of obstacles as individuals and as a community.  These challenges include widespread bullying in schools, lack of protection from discrimination by employers, paucity of programming to address the reproductive health needs of lesbians, and the lack of sensitive HIV healthcare for transgender women and gay men who are at exponentially higher risk of HIV infection than the general population.

The discourse on gender biased sex selection in India has evolved over time from the realm of private spaces to that of public policy. India’s experience in dealing with the issue offers many valuable lessons for the global community. This assumes special significance given the increasing imbalance in sex ratios in the early age groups observed in countries in South, East and Central Asia, and Eastern Europe. The study maps existing evidence on gender biased sex selection in the Indian context, weaving in significant social debates and policy developments that have influenced perceptions, and pathways to action. It offers practical suggestions to advance the path of critical inquiry by focusing on different domains such as family and household, education, labour and employment, and on institutions that directly or indirectly aid or combat the practice of sex selection. 

Violence against women has been acknowledged as a major barrier to sustainable human development and a serious impediment to achieving gender equality. It imposes a tremendous economic cost to the countries in the form of absenteeism from productive work, increased health care expenditures, and taxing public services – police, courts, and social welfare. At the same time, it dehumanizes the perpetrators unleashing a cycle of violence that erodes the core of their well-being. All the countries of South Asia are committed to ending violence against women and children and are signatories to CEDAW and the Convention on the Rights of the Child (CRC). Violence against women remains one of the region’s most pervasive human rights challenges. It is estimated that one in every two women in South Asia faces violence in her home1 as compared to the world average of one in three.

In many Western and Asian contexts, over half of LGBT students report having been bullied because of their same-sex attraction or because of their transgender expressions. Thailand is often perceived by both foreigners and some of its own population as very accepting of sexual and gender diversity; however some research suggests that Thai society is "tolerant but unaccepting" toward LGBT individuals. Previous studies were conducted on school bullying in Thailand, but only anecdotal evidence revealed the presence of targeted violence toward LGBT students due to their sexual orientation and/or gender identity. This study aimed to fill this gap in evidence, and to identify policy and programme implications.

Drawing upon the recommendations and guidance contained in the updated Model Strategies and Practical Measures, the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) and UN Women, in cooperation with Thailand Institute of Justice, have drafted the Handbook on Effective Prosecution Responses to Violence against Women and Girls with a view to assist prosecutors in their duty to uphold the rule of law, firmly protect human rights and serve their community with impartiality and fairness in cases involving violence against women and girls. The focus of this Handbook is on violence against women and girls, based on the United Nations definition i.e. "any act of gender-based violence that results in, or is likely to result in, physical, sexual or psychological harm or suffering to women, including threats of such acts, coercion or arbitrary deprivation of liberty, whether in public or private life".

Human trafficking is a form of violence against women (VAW) that occurs within and across borders. It involves many different actors, including families, local brokers, international criminal networks and immigration authorities, and in many cases it leads to a form of modern day slavery for the victim. Human trafficking affects the economy, political stability, law enforcement, women's rights and public health, particularly reproductive health and sexual health. Trafficking victims are also placed at greater risk of contracting HIV/AIDS. Human trafficking also cuts across many fundamental issues, such as human rights, maintenance of peace and security, national development and family health, and efforts to stop it naturally involve many sectors of society. Parliamentarians, or, members of national parliaments, are one vital element that can play a significant role by virtue of their commitment to legislation. Laws are meritless without government support.

Access to education in a safe environment is a universal human right. However, the exercise of this right is often compromised by the presence of violence and bullying in schools, making them unsafe. Given its often gendered nature, bullying is considered a subtype of school-related gender-based violence. In particular, students who are lesbian, gay, bisexual or transgender (LGBT) tend to be disproportionately bullied at schools. In many Western and Asian contexts, over half of LGBT students report having been bullied because of their same-sex attraction or because of their transgender expressions. Thailand is often perceived as very accepting of sexual/gender diversity, but in fact LGBT people are usually only tolerated, not accepted. There was previous evidence of school bullying in Thailand, but only anecdotal evidence pointed at the presence of school bullying specifically targeting students who are or are perceived to be LGBT, or on mechanisms to counter it in Thai schools.

UN Women plays a leading role in supporting improvements in global norms and standards that accelerate the realization of gender equality. We provide expert knowledge and evidence, advocate for critical issues, convene key stakeholders, and engage with UN Member States to build consensus and forge agreements on new commitments. The Annual Report documents UN Women's work to foster women's empowerment and gender equality around the world. It highlights some of the organization’s initiatives during the year and provides summary financial statements, a list of new programmes and projects, and contact information.

This publication is intended to share an analytical framework for investigating plural legal systems from the gender perspective. It focuses on the broad spectrum of the legal orders, including those that are informal, not formally recognized, or not State sanctioned covering customary, indigenous, traditional and religious orders. UN Women hopes that this publication will be useful for states and non-governmental organizations working at the forefront of cases, making positive impacts on women’s lives with useful working tools; and provide guidance for the regional research and to identify contentious issues within the region.