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

V
WOMEN’S ACCESS TO JUSTICE FOR GENDER-BASED VIOLENCE 43
Other “harmful practices” 100 including: dowry-related
violence, 101 female genital mutilation, 102 forced 103 and
settings. States should address all forms of gender discrimination as
part of a comprehensive violence-prevention strategy. This includes
addressing gender-based stereotypes, power imbalances, inequalities
and discrimination which support and perpetuate the use of violence
and coercion in the home, in school and educational settings, in
communities, in the workplace, in institutions and in society more
broadly. Men and boys must be actively encouraged as strategic
partners and allies, and along with women and girls, must be provided
with opportunities to increase their respect for one another and their
understanding of how to stop gender discrimination and its violent
manifestations;”.
100
Article 1(g) of the Maputo Protocol, above note 75, defines
‘Harmful Practices’ as: “all behaviour, attitudes and/or practices which
negatively affect the fundamental rights of women and girls, such as
their right to life, health, dignity, education and physical integrity”.
The Maputo Protocol requires States to “enact and effectively
implement appropriate legislative or regulatory measures, including
those prohibiting and curbing all forms of discrimination particularly
those harmful practices which endanger the health and general wellbeing
of women” (Article 2(1)(b)). For a comprehensive approach to
all forms of harmful practices, see “Joint general recommendation No.
31 of the Committee on the Elimination of Discrimination against
Women / general comment No. 18 of the Committee on the Rights of
the Child on harmful practices”, UN Doc CEDAW/C/GC/31-
CRC/C/GC.18 (2014), especially Part VI. This joint General Comment
of the two treaty bodies contains a comprehensive approach to
eradicating these harmful practices, which are strongly rooted in social
attitudes.
101
UN Declaration on Violence against Women, above note 85, Article
2(a).
102
Ibid, Article 2(a); CEDAW General Recommendation No 24,
“Women and Health”, UN Doc A/54/38 at 5 (1999), paragraph 12;
Committee against Torture, General Comment No 2, above note 81,
paragraph 18; Human Rights Committee, General Comment No 28,
above note 71, paragraph 11; and Committee on Economic, Social and
Cultural Rights (CESCR), General Comment No 20, “Nondiscrimination
in economic, social and cultural rights”, UN Doc
E/C.12/GC/20 (2009), paragraph 35.
103
Human Rights Committee, General Comment No 28, above note
71, paragraph 24.