Contents Acknowledgements ii Foreword iii List of abbreviations iv Introduction for users v Part I The human rights of women and girls 1 Chapter 1: 2 Why focus on women’s and girls’ human rights? Chapter 2: The international legal framework around women’s and girls’ human rights Chapter 3: Part II The institutional framework for women’s and girls’ human rights 11 25 Protecting and promoting the rights of women and girls: NHRIs in action 37 Chapter 4: 38 Supporting a strong national legal and policy framework Chapter 5: Responding to complaints of violations of women’s and girls’ human rights 51 Chapter 6: Conducting inquiries into systemic violations of women’s and girls’ human rights 65 Part III Chapter 7: Promoting and monitoring the human rights of women and girls 77 Chapter 8: Engaging with international and regional mechanisms 91 Special issues of focus Chapter 9: Part IV 115 Reproductive rights 116 Chapter 10: Violence against women and girls 134 Chapter 11: Female migrant domestic workers 151 Integrating gender and the human rights of women and girls Chapter 12: The challenge of integration: Practical issues and approaches Summary 169 170 183 i