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Violence Against Women: Strategies and Responses

Date:
Location:
B-318 Rayburn House Office Building

Hearing Notice

Violence against women is a serious human rights violation which occurs in varying forms and contexts with severe global health implications. Women and girls are systematically targeted in armed conflicts, communal violence and cultural practices, in the workplace and at home. Globally, one in three women experience physical, sexual and/or emotional violence in their lifetime and one in five women experience rape or attempted rape (World Health Organization).

A recent study of the World Health Organization (WHO) on women’s health and domestic violence found 15-71 percent of women described either physical or sexual violence by a husband or partner, that a large number of women reported their first sexual experience was non-consensual, and that these severe violations frequently go unreported and unaddressed. The United Nations defines violence against women as “any act of gender-based violence that results in, or is likely to result in, physical, sexual or mental harm or suffering to women, including threats of such acts, coercion or arbitrary deprivation of liberty, whether occurring in public or in private life.”

Violence against women includes sexual, physical, or emotional abuse by an intimate partner, family member or others, abuse and harassment by figures of authority, human trafficking for purposes of forced labor or sex, and cultural practices such as female genital mutilation, forced/child marriages, dowry-related violence and honor killings. 

If you have any questions, please contact Allison McGuire (Rep. McGovern) or Elizabeth Hoffman (Rep. Wolf) at 202-225-3599.

Hosted by:

James P. McGovern
Member of Congress
Co-Chair, TLHRC
Frank R. Wolf
Member of Congress
Co-Chair, TLHRC
Witnesses

Witnesses

Panel I

  • Rep. Bill Delahunt (D-MA)
  • Rep. Ted Poe (R-TX)

Panel II

  • Ambassador Stephen Rapp, Office of War Crimes Issues

Panel III

  • Dr. Lydia Mungherera of Uganda, founder of Mama's Club
    Written testimony
  • V. Humaira Shahid of Pakistan, former member of the Punjab Provincial Assembly
    Written testimony
  • Ret. Major General Patrick Cammaert, former UN Force Commander
    Written testimony
  • Gary Barker, Ph.D, director of Gender, Violence and Rights at the International Center for Research on Women
    Written testimony
Meeting Documents

Transcript

Transcript

Contact The Commission

Tom Lantos Human Rights Commission
House Committee on Foreign Affairs
4150 O'Neill House Office Building
200 C Street SW
Washington, D.C. 20515
United States of America

Phone: +1 (202) 225-3599
TLHRC@mail.house.gov

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Questions with regard to special accommodations in general (including availability of Commission materials in alternative formats and assistive listening devices, sign language interpretation, etc.) may be directed to the Commission.

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