Promoting and Protecting the Human Rights of Women and Girls A Manual for National Human Rights Institutions The very first special procedure created focused explicitly on the human rights of women. The Special Rapporteur on violence against women, its causes and consequences was established in 1994, a direct result of activism around women’s human rights at the 1993 World Conference on Human Rights. This mandate has played a critical role in confirming violence against women as a violation of human rights and in establishing the parameters of States’ responsibility to protect women from violence and to respond effectively. 71 THE SPECIAL RAPPORTEUR ON VIOLENCE AGAINST WOMEN, ITS CAUSES AND CONSEQUENCES Mandate71 (a) Seek and receive information on violence against women, its causes and consequences from Governments, treaty bodies, specialized agencies, other special rapporteurs responsible for various human rights questions and intergovernmental and non-governmental organizations, including women’s organizations, and to respond effectively to such information (b) Recommend measures, ways and means at the local, national, regional and international levels to eliminate all forms of violence against women and its causes, and to remedy its consequences (c) Work closely with all special procedures and other human rights mechanisms of the Human Rights Council and with the treaty bodies, taking into account the request of the Council that they regularly and systematically integrate the human rights of women and a gender perspective into their work, and cooperate closely with the Commission on the Status of Women in the discharge of its functions (d) Adopt a comprehensive and universal approach to the elimination of violence against women, its causes and consequences, including causes of violence against women relating to the civil, cultural, economic, political and social spheres. Method of work The Special Rapporteur: • Transmits urgent appeals and communications to States regarding alleged cases of violence against women • Undertakes fact-finding country visits • Submits annual thematic reports. The other special procedure to deal directly and exclusively with women’s human rights is the Working Group on the issue of discrimination against women in law and practice, which commenced work in 2011. The role of the Working Group is to identify, promote and exchange views, in consultation with States and other actors, on good practices related to the elimination of laws that discriminate against women. It is also required to establish a dialogue with States and other actors on laws that have a discriminatory impact where women are concerned. As part of its role, the Working Group is required to undertake a study on the ways and means in which it can cooperate with States to fulfil their commitments to eliminate discrimination against women in law and in practice. NHRIs are to be consulted as part of this process. 71 32 The mandate of the Special Rapporteur was last renewed in 2011 by General Assembly resolution 16/7. See A/HRC/RES/16/7; para. 3.