The Recognition of Violence against Women as a Violation of Human Rights in the United Nations System

This paper seeks to capture the gradual process of acceptance and recognition of violence against- women-issue as a human right violation in the International human rights discourses. It discusses the role of four World Conferences on women and the Convention on Elimination of All forms of Discrimination against Women (CEDAW) in bringing the issue under International spotlight. While so doing it reflects on the silence, regarding the issue of violence against women, in CEDAW and the compensation of this omission in the form of General Recommendation 19 (interpretive procedure established by the Committee for Elimination of discrimination against women). It also illuminates some of the landmark developments in the United Nations human rights system to combat violence against women. These developments include, inter alia, the Declaration on Elimination of Violence Against Women (DEVAW), gender mainstreaming in the United Nations human rights mechanism and the appointment of Special Rapporteur on violence against women its causes and consequences. The final remarks include some considerations about large number of reservations attached to the CEDAW, which minimise its efficacy, and the lack of willingness of the state parties to withdraw these reservations.