CEDAW/C/GC/35
violence against women; their activities have had a profound social and political
impact, contributing to the recognition of gender -based violence against women as a
human rights violation and to the adoption of laws and policies to address it.
5.
In its concluding observations on the periodic reports of States parties under
the Convention 5 and the related follow-up procedures, general recommendations,
statements, and views and recommendations issued in response to communications 6
and inquiries 7 under the Optional Protocol to the Convention, the Committee
condemns gender-based violence against women, in all its forms, wherever it
occurs. Through those mechanisms, the Committee has also clarified standards for
eliminating such violence and the obligations of States parties in that regard.
6.
Despite those advances, gender-based violence against women, whether
committed by States, intergovernmental organizations or non -State actors, including
private persons and armed groups, 8 remains pervasive in all countries, with high
levels of impunity. It manifests itself on a continuum of multiple, interr elated and
recurring forms, in a range of settings, from private to public, including technology mediated settings 9 and in the contemporary globalized world it transcends national
boundaries.
7.
In many States, legislation addressing gender-based violence against women is
non-existent, inadequate or poorly implemented. An erosion of the legal and policy
frameworks that aim to eliminate gender-based discrimination or violence, often
justified in the name of tradition, culture, religion or fundamentalist ideo logy, and
significant reductions in public spending, often as part of so-called “austerity
measures” following economic and financial crises, further weaken States
responses. In the context of shrinking democratic spaces and the consequent
__________________
5
6
7
8
9
17-12719
Almost 600 concluding observations have been adopted by the Committee since the adoption of
general recommendation No. 19, most of which contain explicit references to gender -based
violence against women.
In particular, communications No. 2/2003, A.T. v. Hungary, views adopted on 26 January 2005;
No. 4/2004, A.S. v. Hungary, views adopted on 14 August 2006; No. 6/2005, Yildirim (deceased)
v. Austria, views adopted on 6 August 2007; No. 5/2005, Goekce (deceased) v. Austria, views
adopted on 6 August 2007; No. 18/2008, Vertido v. Philippines, views adopted on 16 July 2010;
No. 20/2008, V.K. v. Bulgaria, views adopted on 25 July 2011; No. 23/2009, Abramova v.
Belarus, views adopted on 25 July 2011; No. 19/2008, Kell v. Canada, views adopted on
28 February 2012; No. 32/2011, Jallow v. Bulgaria, views adopted on 23 July 2012; No. 31/2011,
S.V.P. v. Bulgaria, views adopted on 12 October 2012; No. 34/2011, R.P.B. v. Philippines, views
adopted on 21 February 2014; No. 47/2012, González Carreño v. Spain, views adopted on
16 July 2014; No. 24/2009, X. and Y. v. Georgia, views adopted on 13 July 2015; No. 45/2012,
Belousova v. Kazakhstan, views adopted on 13 July 2015; No. 46/2012, M.W. v. Denmark, views
adopted on 22 February 2016; and No. 58/2013, L.R. v. Republic of Moldova, views adopted on
28 February 2017.
See the report on Mexico produced by the Committee under article 8 of the Optional Protocol to
the Convention and the reply from the Government of Mexico. Available from
http://tbinternet.ohchr.org/_layouts/treatybodyexternal/Download.aspx?symbolno=
CEDAW%2fC%2f2005%2fOP.8%2fMEXICO&Lang=en; report of the inquiry concerning
Canada (CEDAW/C/OP.8/CAN/1); and the summary of the inquiry concerning the Philippines
(CEDAW/C/OP.8/PHL/1).
This includes all types of armed groups, such as rebel forces, gangs and paramilitary groups.
See General Assembly resolution 68/181, entitled “Promotion of the Declaration on the Right
and Responsibility of Individuals, Groups and Organs of Society to Promote and Protect
Universally Recognized Human Rights and Fundamental Freedoms: protecting women human
rights defenders”; report of the Working Group for Broadband and Gender of the Broadband
Commission for Sustainable Development, co-chaired by the United Nations Development
Programme-United Nations Entity for Gender Equality and the Empowerment of Women
(UN-Women), entitled “Cyber violence against women and girls: a worldwide wake-up call”,
October 2015; and agreed conclusions of the fifty-seventh session of the Commission on the
Status of Women (E/2013/27, chap. I, sect. A).
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