[women-rights] OAS considers follow-up mechanism on violence against women

July 25, 2006 -- Government-appointed experts are meeting at the 
Organization of American States (OAS) to begin the first round of 
multilateral evaluation under the Follow-up Mechanism to the Convention on 
the Prevention, Punishment and Eradication of Violence against Women, also 
known as the Convention of Belém do Pará. During the two-day meeting, 
which began Monday, the group of experts is considering 25 preliminary 
reports presented by states parties, which will be used to assess the 
regional outlook on progress, setbacks and challenges in the effort to end 
violence against women.

In opening the Second Meeting of the Committee of Experts, the Chair of 
the OAS Permanent Council, Ambassador Henry Illes of Suriname, said the 
member states are aware that despite considerable progress, gender-related 
violence continues and in some cases is on the increase. .The tragedy,. he 
said, .is that violence against women affects not only the victims, but 
also their families and ultimately, all of society. The consequences of 
gender-based violence are social, emotional and financial. It can result 
in the loss of lives, lost productivity, increased costs of medical care, 
and lost opportunities for women and their families..

Illes stressed that eradicating violence against women .is the 
responsibility of all.men and women, governments and civil society. I feel 
that all of us should become active participants, agents of change and 
progress in this effort... 

María José Argaña, Vice President of the Inter-American Commission of 
Women (known by its Spanish acronym, CIM) and Deputy Minister of Women in 
Paraguay, welcomed the experts to the meeting. She thanked the CIM 
Secretariat for consolidating efforts to implement the Belém do Pará 
Convention follow-up mechanism.

In his remarks, the Executive Secretary of the Inter-American Commission 
on Human Rights, Santiago Canton, noted that inadequate access to justice 
is one of the main obstacles for women who are victims of violence. .From 
the human rights perspective, a number of barriers have been identified 
that women still face in seeking to effectively access justice in the 
Americas, including cultural, institutional, budgetary, geographical, 
linguistic and economic barriers,. Canton said.

Based on information received from the countries of the hemisphere, the 
Inter-American Commission.s Rapporteurship on the Rights of Women has 
confirmed that the next step is to build on the formal recognition of 
women.s rights to ensure that these rights can be fully and effectively 
enjoyed. Achieving this goal, he said. .requires the cooperation and 
commitment of civil society organizations and networks, international and 
regional agencies, governments and decision-makers, the academic sector 
and the communications media..

The Belém do Pará Convention is the most widely ratified treaty in the 
inter-American human rights system, with 32 member state ratifications. 

OAS Press release