UN Special Rapporteur to arrive on April 28
Source: Hueiyen News Service

Imphal, April 20 2013 : UN Special Rapporteur on violence against women, its causes and consequences (UNSRVAW) Ms.Rashida Manjoo, who would be on an official mission to India from April 22 to May 1, 2013, has scheduled a consultation meeting with civil society organizations, women human rights defenders, victims and other advocates working on violence against women on April 28 at Imphal.

Ms Rashida Manjoo has accepted an invitation sent from the side of Civil Society Coalition on Human Rights in Manipur and the UN (CSCHR) on March 13 requesting to visit Manipur and the North East region during her mission to India.

Accordingly, civil society organisations and groups including individuals, women human rights defenders and other advocates working on the issue of violence against women and girls in the North East region are preparing for a regional consultation meeting that has been scheduled for April 28 at Imphal.

Informing this in a statement, Convenor of Civil Society Coalition on Human Rights in Manipur and the UN Dr Laifungbam Debabrata Roy has observed that the first ever formal visit of a distinguished official of the UN with a human rights mandate to Manipur is an historic occasion.

The mandate of the UNSRVAW was established on 4th March 1994 by the UN Commission for Human Rights and this year marks the arrival of the 20th year of the mandate.

Ms Rashida Manjoo has a broad three year mandate renewed by the UN Human Rights Council in March 2011 by Resolution 16/7 .

UNSRVAW will address violence against women broadly, focusing on both its causes and consequences according to the mandate.

The Special Rapporteur will study the different manifestations of violence against women: in the family (both domestic violence and culturally justified practices that are violent to or subordinate women); in the community (including rape/sexual assault, sexual harassment); violence perpetrated or condoned by the State (institutional violence), and violence in the transnational sphere (violence against immigrant women, asylum seekers and refugees) .

Furthermore, in order to have a clearer picture of the issues in India, the Special Rapporteur will be compiling and studying information on recent analyses or surveys on the situation and forms of violence against women in India; analyses on the criminal or civil provisions that may be applied to cases of violence against women, and whether these are appropriate or sufficient; priority issues/concerns to raise, suggestions for recommendations related to VAW in the public and private spheres, and any recent and concrete cases of violence against women and girls, the statement added.

NNN adds: Babaloo Loitongbam, executive director, Human Rights Alert (HRA) also shared his views on the scheduled visit of Manjoo.

He said Manjoo is visiting India on the invitation of the Government of India.

During the past three years, several UN Rapporteurs had visited the country and at least two Rappoteurs were failed to visit Manipur due to certain difficulties, he said.

Babaloo also expressed apprehension that the scheduled visit of Manjoo on April 28 to the state could be cancelled by citing security reason by the Government.

However, he said if she comes to the state, it would be a historic occasion, appealing to all sections of the society not to organize bandh and blockade in the state on April 28 .

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