Stop the violence!

From November, 19th, to December, 7th, a book exhibition “Stop the violence!” dedicated to the International Day for the Elimination of Violence Against Women runs in the Documents of international organizations reading room (auditorium 207g).

This Day was proclaimed by the UN General Assembly on December, 17th, 1999 (resolution 54/134) and is observed annually on November, 25th.

All over the world women are the force which fastens families, communities and nations. Violence against women is the flagrant violation of human rights which is fraught with huge social and economic costs. It seriously threatens the achievement of the international-coordinated purposes in the field of development.

Violence against women and girls is a problem of pandemic scales. It is not limited with any separate culture, country or region, or concrete group of women within the limits of any society. Women are victims of violence regardless of a level of their income, class, race or nationality. At least each third woman in the world during the life has borne beating, compulsion to sex or any other forms of cruel treatment from a person, as a rule, close to her. Annually from 500 thousand up to 3 million people, mainly women and children, become victims of human trafficking getting in slavery or a dependent condition.

Violence against women is a complex and many-sided phenomenon. It manifests both in quite evident facts and under the veil of everyday life. But no violence passes without leaving a trace. To eradicate it finally, the universal measures of public character and fixed legislatively are necessary.

Comprehending all the importance of this problem, On December 20th, 1993, the UN General Assembly adopted the Declaration on the Elimination of Violence against Women (A/RES/48/104), and in February 2008, UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon announced the launch of the campaign ”End violence together (2008–2015)” for the development and acceptance of concrete measures on the prevention and eradication of violence against women and girls all over the world.

In the Republic of Belarus a particular attention is paid to the issues of violence against women. The strategy of our government is directed on the prevention, suppression and eradication of this evil. Our country adheres to this strategy on international scene as well. Belarus has acted as the organizer of some international actions aimed at the formation of effective global partnership against slavery and human trafficking in the 21st century and violence against women.

Documents on display present a many-sided activity of the United Nations and other international organizations, women’s movements and associations for the struggle against violence, acquaint with various aspects of studying of gender issues, and explain the role of women in modern society.

The exposition includes over 70 documents in Russian, English and French languages: books, periodicals, UN mimeographed papers (masthead), brochures and booklets.

The exhibition consists of the following thematic sections:

• The international and regional legal documents on liquidation of violence against women.
• Violence against women in Belarus.
• Domestic violence. Measures for the prevention and suppression of violence against women in families.
• Women and armed conflicts.
• Women and human trafficking.
• Social inequality and gender discrimination.

The offered exhibition will be interesting to university students and professors, social pedagogies, psychologists, lawyers, specialists in the field of the fight against human trafficking and human rights activists.

Contact telephone: (375 17) 293 27 34.

Useful links

• The International Day for the Elimination of Violence Against Women
• Campaign of 2012 “16 Days of Activism against Gender Violence”
• The United Nations’ activity for the improvement of women’s status
• The global strategy of women’s and children’s health protection
• Women and human rights
• The United Nations for the improvement of women’s rights
• Women, peace, safety
• Parliamentary handbook: the Convention on the Elimination of all Forms of Discrimination and Optional Protocol
• Session of the Commission on the Status of Women [Beijing+10] (New York, 28 – 11 March, 2005)
• The UN General Assembly special session [Beijing+5] (New York, 5–9 June, 2000)
• The 4th World Conference on the Status of Women (Beijing, 4–15 September, 1995)
• The International Women’s Day (8 March)
• The International Rural Women’s Day (15 October)

Declarations, conventions and treaties

• Model strategies and practical measures for the elimination of violence against women and criminal violation prevention (1997)
• The Declaration on the Elimination of Violence against Women (1993)
• The Convention on the Elimination of all Forms of Discrimination against Women (1979) (see also The Optional Protocol )
• Declarations on women’s rights
• conventions on women’s rights
• End Violence Together: For the Dignity of Every Woman