The Independent Commission for Human Rights forms of violence against women, taking into account the general recommendations adopted by the committee on eliminating discrimination against women, empowering women subjected to violence and for them to have access to the mechanisms of justice, and informing women of their rights when seeking redress through these mechanisms. The drafting and implementation of action plans on all levels was also covered, as well as creating and promoting institutional mechanisms enabling women to report on the patterns of violence they are subjected to and file complaints thereof in a safe and secure environment. It also called for ensuring access to women with disabilities to information and services related to combating violence against women. 3. Actions of the Committee on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women CEDAW did not directly address the issue of violence against women, but defined the term of discrimination against women as “any distinction, exclusion or restriction made on the basis of sex which has the effect or purpose of impairing or nullifying the recognition, enjoyment or exercise by women, irrespective of their marital status, on a basis of equality of men and women, of human rights and fundamental freedoms in the political, economic, social, cultural, civil or any other field”. The committee’s monitoring of CEDAW’s implementation contributed to recognizing violence against women as a matter of human rights (20: c). It also recommended states to act to ensure protection for women against any form of violence occurring in the family, at workplace or any other area of social life. The committee adopted in 1989 Recommendation No. (12), which recommends states to act to ensure protection for women against any form of violence in the family, at workplace or in the wider community, and to include into their periodic reports information about the legislation drafted to protect women against violence of any kind they might be subjected to in their everyday life. The reports were also to reflect any information on measures taken to eliminate violence as well as information on support services provided for women as victims of violence. It also adopted Recommendation No. (19) in 1992, emphasizing the terms of the previous recommendation considering violence against women as a form of gender based discrimination and a crucial cause of violence. Furthermore, it considered family violence as one of the most insidious forms of violence against women that is present in all societies. Within family relationships, women of all ages are subjected to violence of all kinds, including battering, rape, other forms of sexual assault, mental and other forms of violence, all of which are perpetuated by customary attitudes and lack of economic independence, both of which force many women to stay in violent relationships. In addition, it specified women’s rights in general, including: • The right to life; • The right not to be subjected to torture or to cruel, inhuman or treatment or punishment; degrading • The right to equal protection according to humanitarian norms in time of international or internal armed conflict; 12