United Nations Special Rapporteur on Violence Against Women

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| post = United Nations Special Rapporteur on Violence Against Women

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| incumbent = Reem Alsalem

| incumbentsince = August 2021

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| inaugural = Radhika Coomaraswamy

| website = {{URL|https://www.ohchr.org/en/issues/women/srwomen/pages/srwomenindex.aspx}}

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On 4 March 1994 the Human Rights Council passed Resolution 1994/45 on the question of integrating the rights of women into the human rights mechanisms of the United Nations and the elimination of violence against women. This Resolution established the mandate of the "Special Rapporteur on Violence Against Women its causes and consequences". The initial appointment was for a three-year period.{{cite web|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20051202082743/http://www.unhchr.ch/Huridocda/Huridoca.nsf/TestFrame/401503e99f333b03802567360041e65c?Opendocument|url=http://www.unhchr.ch/Huridocda/Huridoca.nsf/TestFrame/401503e99f333b03802567360041e65c?Opendocument|title=Question of integrating the rights of women into the human rights mechanisms of the United Nations and the elimination of violence against women|archive-date=2 December 2005}} {{As of|November 2021|lc=n}} the special rapporteur was Reem Alsalem.{{cite web |title=Dubravka Šimonović, Special Rapporteur on Violence against Women, its causes and consequences |url=https://www.ohchr.org/en/issues/women/srwomen/pages/dubravkasimonovic.aspx |website=ohchr.org |publisher=United Nations: Office of the High Commissioner on Human Rights |access-date=2 June 2020}} who is controversial for her anti-trans views and who according to legal scholar Jens Theilen is "using women’s rights as a tool to undermine trans rights."{{cite journal |last1=Theilen |first1=Jens |date=2024 |title=Intersectionality’s Travels to International Human Rights Law |url=https://papers.ssrn.com/sol3/papers.cfm?abstract_id=4504732 |journal=Michigan Journal of International Law |volume=45 |issue=2 |quote=A stark example of individual politics furthering rather than contesting oppression is found in the work of the current Special Rapporteur on violence against women and girls, its causes and consequences, Reem Alsalem, who is using women’s rights as a tool to undermine trans rights; see the protest letter AWID, There Is No Place for Anti-Trans Agendas in the UN (2023)}}{{cite web |title=There Is No Place for Anti-Trans Agendas in the UN |url=https://www.awid.org/news-and-analysis/there-no-place-anti-trans-agendas-un |access-date=9 February 2024 |publisher=Association for Women's Rights in Development}}

Mandate

The special rapporteur is mandated to seek and receive information on violence against women, recommend ways to eliminate violence against women at national, regional and intersectionality levels, and work collaboratively with the other United Nations human rights mechanisms.{{cite web|date=22 November 1994|title=Preliminary report submitted by the Special Rapporteur on violence against women, its causes and consequences, Ms. Radhika Coomaraswamy, in accordance with Commission on Human Rights resolution 1994/45|url=http://www.unhchr.ch/Huridocda/Huridoca.nsf/TestFrame/75ccfd797b0712d08025670b005c9a7d?Opendocument|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20051211013239/http://www.unhchr.ch/Huridocda/Huridoca.nsf/TestFrame/75ccfd797b0712d08025670b005c9a7d?Opendocument|archive-date=11 December 2005}}

Country visits

The special rapporteur is mandated to carry out country visits, often in conjunction with other special rapporteurs, independent experts or working groups.{{cite web|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20040818143315/http://www2.ohchr.org/english/issues/women/rapporteur/visits.htm|url=http://www2.ohchr.org/english/issues/women/rapporteur/visits.htm|title=Special Rapporteur on violence against women, its causes and consequences – Country Visits|archive-date=18 August 2004}}

Reports to the Human Rights Council

Each year the Special Rapporteur provides a written report to the Human Rights Council outlining the activities undertaken and themes analyzed.{{cite web|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20040818143913/http://www2.ohchr.org/english/issues/women/rapporteur/annual.htm|url=http://www2.ohchr.org/english/issues/women/rapporteur/annual.htm|title=Special Rapporteur on violence against women, its causes and consequences|archive-date=18 August 2004}}

Communications

The Special Rapporteur can send communications or letters to governments and other actors regarding human rights violations and concerns relating to bills, legislation, policies or practices that do not comply with international human rights law and standards.{{cite web|url=https://www.ohchr.org/en/special-procedures-human-rights-council/what-are-communications |title=Special Rapporteur on violence against women, its causes and consequences}} In such communications, the Special Rapporteur has, amongst others, violence by corporations and intersectionality.{{Cite journal |last=Nissen |first=A. |title=Gender-Transformative Remedies for Women Human Rights Defenders |date=2023 |journal=Business and Human Rights Journal |volume=8 |issue=3 |pages=369–393|doi=10.1017/bhj.2023.41 |url=https://www.cambridge.org/core/journals/business-and-human-rights-journal/article/gendertransformative-remedies-for-women-human-rights-defenders/2A05A3CBAA5C62794AE194565813CD25|hdl=1887/3716539 |hdl-access=free }}

Post-holders

Radhika Coomaraswamy (1994–2003)
Yakin Ertürk (2003–2009)
Rashida Manjoo (2009–2015)
Dubravka Šimonović (2015–2021)
Reem Alsalem (2021–present)