which is to induce a change in behavior in men and boys and prevent future acts of violence. This
campaign is currently being implemented in 20 schools in rural areas. NHRIs also regularly become
involved in legislative processes concerning laws on violence against women by making
recommendations to the competent authorities, as was the case for the NHRI of Myanmar.
Several NHRIs have undertaken work in relation to child or early marriage, such as the NHRI of
Denmark. In an effort to reform a century old law on child marriage, the NHRI of Bangladesh,
together with civil society organizations, supported the “Girls not Brides” campaign. The NHRI of
Azerbaijan held a series of events aimed at raising awareness about the struggles and stereotypes
associated with early marriage amongst women living in rural areas. Representatives of the
institutions’s regional offices, local executive bodies, courts, prosecutors and police bodies,
municipalities, local communities, as well as non-governmental organizations, including the
participation of the Azerbaijan Women and Development Center also participated in the event.
Finally, the issue of violence against women in the context of armed conflict has been taken on by
the Colombian NHRI, who has conducted a study on “Armed conflict and the risks for rural women”
with case studies from four regions. For 2018, a study is planned on the risks for rural women in the
post-accord context.
3.3
THE ACCESSIBILITY, ACCEPTABILITY AND AFFORDABILITY OF PUBLIC SERVICES
As mentioned earlier, rurality often has a negative impact on the accessibility of public services which
put the rights of women and girls in jeopardy. The Economic, Social and Cultural Rights Center of the
NHRI of the Philippines has developed a tool which allows to monitor whether groups in a situation
of vulnerability, including women and girls living in rural areas, are provided with sufficient
safeguards for the protection and promotion of their ESC rights.
The NHRI of Costa Rica has created the “Network of users of public services”, a program which
includes training and support for women and girls living in the Pococí and Sarapiquí regions who fight
for better social security services, access to justice and access to employment opportunities. The
program also includes training for women from the Caribbean region to strengthen their
participation in public administration.
In Canada, First Nations communities suffer from inadequate access to quality health care, education
and other social services. The NHRI of Canada has attempted to bring attention to and remedy this
issue by dealing with complaints and representing the public interest in litigation before the courts as
well as by raising the issue in speeches, press releases and reports during Canada’s periodic reviews
before United Nations treaty bodies.
HEALTH CARE
Several NHRIs have focused some of their work on barriers to the right to health for women and girls
living in rural areas. The NHRI of Burundi not only engages in advocacy in favor of improving the
accessibility of health care services for women and girls living in rural areas, but in some instances
has made sure that persons receive medical assistance, especially persons with mental health
problems. The NHRI of Malaysia organized the “Human Rights and Access to Equitable Health”
dialogues, a discussion forum on issues affecting the rights to health of people living in rural areas
and on ways to provide and sustain equitable quality healthcare for all.
The NHRI of Mexico has held such discussion forums specifically for Indigenous women. The
institution also issued recommendations and offered seminars on the prevention of obstetric
violence and distributed publications on the prevention of maternal mortality across the country.
Maternal mortality and morbidity of women and girls living in rural areas is also one of the issues the
Congolese NHRI and the NHRIs of Algeria and Nepal have concentrated on.
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