Universal-Womens-accesss-to-justice-Publications-Practitioners-Guide-Series-2016-ENG

22 PRACTITIONERS GUIDE No. 12
nationality, religion, sexual orientation, age, immigrant
status etc. to determine the ways that women and girls
are subject to or at risk of torture or ill-treatment and
the consequences thereof. The contexts in which
females are at risk include deprivation of liberty,
medical treatment, particularly involving reproductive
decisions, and violence by private actors in communities
and homes.” 32
The UN Declaration on the Elimination of Violence against
Women describes the term ‘violence against women’ as: “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 occurring in public or in private
life”. 33 Article 2 of the Declaration explains that violence against
women must be understood to encompass, but not be limited
to, the following:
a) Physical, sexual and psychological violence occurring in
the family, including battering, sexual abuse of female
children in the household, dowry-related violence,
marital rape, female genital mutilation and other
traditional practices harmful to women, non-spousal
violence and violence related to exploitation;
b) Physical, sexual and psychological violence occurring
within the general community, including rape, sexual
abuse, sexual harassment and intimidation at work, in
educational institutions and elsewhere, trafficking in
women and forced prostitution;
32
Committee against Torture, General Comment No 2,
“Implementation of article 2 by States parties”, UN Doc CAT/C/GC/2
(2008), paragraph 22. See also CEDAW General Recommendation No
19, above note 15, paragraph 7(b).
33
UN Declaration on the Elimination of Violence against Women,
above note 23, Article 1.