Documenting Women's Rights Violations by Non-state Actors

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“Honour crimes” in Jordan, “sexual crimes” to terrorize local populations in Colombia, “family violence” in the United States or “sexual slavery” in Ghana. Whatever the terms or examples used, in every case, it is violence against women. Whether committed by a member of the family, of the community or during armed conflict, this type of violence has no boundaries, it is rampant everywhere and takes different forms depending to the context.

This manual, specifically addressed to groups and individuals not well versed in legal matters, provides tools to human rights activists and defenders who investigate violence perpetrated against women by non-state actors. Its goal is to offer guidance with regard to the legal definitions and human rights protection mechanisms that may help them compel States to fulfil their obligation to protect. It presents concrete examples of particular forms of violence committed against women by non-state actors and models of strategies that have been used effectively, particularly in Muslim communities.