Promoting and Protecting the Human Rights of Women and Girls A Manual for National Human Rights Institutions 6.4. CONDUCTING THE INQUIRY The Manual on Conducting a National Inquiry into Systemic Patterns of Human Rights Violation sets out the two steps involved in conducting a national inquiry: sharing information, undertaking research and collecting evidence; and conducting public hearings109 These steps are necessary for any inquiry and the Manual should be consulted for detailed guidance on each of the steps. The following section focuses specifically on those aspects that have a gender dimension or that may otherwise require particular consideration when the inquiry relates to the human rights of women and girls. Communication and information: Public exposure is essential for an effective national inquiry. It helps ensure that the right people and organizations know about the inquiry and are encouraged to participate. It also helps generate public understanding about the inquiry and support for its goals. Communication and information are critical at all stages of the inquiry, ensuring that stakeholders are engaged, cooperative and supportive. When conducting a national inquiry on the human rights of women and girls, the NHRI must ensure that its communication strategy is specifically targeted to reach those who are most affected. This may involve researching how specific women’s groups communicate and how the NHRI can tap into these networks. The consultation process discussed previously is likely to provide important insights to develop a communication strategy that is relevant and effective. For example, it may reveal a need for information to be provided in different languages, in a different format or using different communication channels to those normally used by the NHRI. Collecting research and evidence: Conducting research and collecting evidence is critical to the national inquiry process. The preparatory work undertaken by the NHRI should identify what information will be necessary for the inquiry and where it may be obtained. Some information may already exist and can be easily gathered, such as reports of NGOs, government departments and international organizations. Recommendations made by the human rights treaty bodies, the special procedures and other international human rights mechanisms, particularly those working on women’s human rights or on issues of high relevance to women, are also crucial sources of information. All relevant national laws and regulations should be compiled, as well as international and regional human rights standards and accompanying jurisprudence. This will provide a clear framework for identifying the responsibilities of the State and other stakeholders, as well as their compliance with those standards. The NHRI should identify those individuals with specific information or expertise in relation to the inquiry topic who could be invited to provide information to the inquiry, either in person or through a formal submission. For inquiries dealing with issues relating to the human rights of women, or issues affecting women differently or disproportionately, subject matter experts could be usefully supplemented by experts who are able to document and explain the gendered impact of laws, policies and practices. The NHRI should keep in mind that some victims and witnesses, both women and men, may be reluctant to engage with the national inquiry, particularly if it involves issues that are sensitive or controversial. The NHRI can try to overcome this by developing a range of options for engagement, such as community meetings, small group meetings and individual interviews. Attention to culture, as well as language, communication needs and the location of affected populations, can help ensure the success of these meetings. When conducting interviews, in particular, the NHRI should keep in mind the importance of not “revictimizing” or “re-traumatizing” an individual. Members of the inquiry team should follow the general principles for conducting ethical and safe interviews with women and girls set out in Chapter 5 of this Manual. Public hearings: Public hearings are central to the methodology and success of any national inquiry. They are a critical way of collecting evidence and insight into the actual experiences of those who may have suffered human rights violations. They also help to place the inquiry firmly within the public domain, which is essential for community education purposes and for securing broad support for the inquiry’s findings and recommendations. 109 74 See Chapters 10–11 of the Manual on Conducting a National Inquiry.