Tuesday, October 11, 2011

[IWS] CRS: INTERNATIONAL VIOLENCE AGAINST WOMEN: U.S. RESPONSE AND POLICY ISSUES [26 July 2011]

IWS Documented News Service
_______________________________
Institute for Workplace Studies----------------- Professor Samuel B. Bacharach
School of Industrial & Labor Relations-------- Director, Institute for Workplace Studies
Cornell University
16 East 34th Street, 4th floor----------------------
Stuart Basefsky
New York, NY 10016 -------------------------------Director, IWS News Bureau
________________________________________________________________________

 

Congressional Research Service (CRS)

 

 

International Violence Against Women: U.S. Response and Policy Issues

Luisa Blanchfield, Coordinator, Specialist in International Relations

Rhoda Margesson, Specialist in International Humanitarian Policy

Tiaji Salaam-Blyther, Specialist in Global Health

Nina M. Serafino, Specialist in International Security Affairs

Liana Sun Wyler, Analyst in International Crime and Narcotics

July 26, 2011

http://fpc.state.gov/documents/organization/170507.pdf

[full-text, 34 pages]

 

Summary

In recent years, the international community has increasingly recognized international violence

against women (VAW) as a significant human rights and global health issue. VAW, which can

include both random acts of violence as well as sustained abuse over time, can be physical,

psychological, or sexual in nature. Studies have found that VAW occurs in all geographic regions,

countries, cultures, and economic classes, with some research showing that women in developing

countries experience higher rates of violence than those in developed countries. Many experts

view VAW as a symptom of the historically unequal power relationship between men and women,

and argue that over time this imbalance has led to pervasive cultural stereotypes and attitudes that

perpetuate a cycle of violence.

 

U.S. policymakers have generally focused on specific types or circumstances of VAW rather than

view it as a stand-alone issue. Congress has authorized and appropriated funds for international

programs that address VAW, including human trafficking and female genital cutting. In addition,

past and current Administrations have supported efforts to reduce international levels of VAW—

though many of these activities are implemented as components of broader foreign aid initiatives.

 

There is no U.S. government-wide coordination of anti-VAW efforts. Most agencies and

departments do not track the cost or number of programs with VAW components. Therefore, it is

unclear how much money the U.S. government, or individual agencies, spend annually on VAWrelated

programs. Some experts have suggested that the U.S. government should re-examine, and

perhaps enhance, current U.S. anti-VAW activities. They argue that VAW should not only be

treated as a stand-alone human rights issue, but also be integrated into U.S. assistance and foreign

policy mechanisms. Other observers are concerned with a perceived lack of coordination among

U.S. government agencies and departments that address international violence against women.

 

This report addresses causes, prevalence, and consequences of violence against women. It

provides examples of completed and ongoing U.S. activities that address VAW directly or include

anti-VAW components, and it outlines possible policy issues for the 112th Congress, including

 

• the scope and effectiveness of U.S. programs in addressing international VAW;

• further integrating anti-VAW programs into U.S. assistance and foreign policy

mechanisms;

• U.S. funding for anti-VAW activities worldwide, particularly in light of the global

financial crisis, economic recession, and subsequent calls to reduce the U.S.

budget deficit; and

• strengthening U.S. government coordination of anti-VAW activities.

 

Information on United Nations (U.N.) anti-VAW activities that previously appeared in this report

is now published in CRS Report RL34518, United Nations System Efforts to Address Violence

Against Women, by Luisa Blanchfield.

 

This report will be updated as events warrant.

 

Contents

Introduction ................................................................................................................................1

Defining Violence Against Women..............................................................................................1

Scope and Context ......................................................................................................................2

Social and Health Consequences ...........................................................................................2

Prevalence and Circumstances ..............................................................................................3

Types of Violence .......................................................................................................................4

Harmful Traditional Practices................................................................................................6

Administration Actions ...............................................................................................................6

Obama Administration ..........................................................................................................7

Bush Administration .............................................................................................................8

Interagency Activities............................................................................................................9

Key Issues and Related U.S. Activities ........................................................................................9

Global Health......................................................................................................................10

Related U.S. Activities .................................................................................................. 11

Humanitarian Crises and Protection of Displaced Populations .............................................12

Related U.S. Activities ..................................................................................................13

Foreign Military Training....................................................................................................14

Related U.S. Activities ..................................................................................................15

Trafficking in Women and Girls ..........................................................................................16

Related U.S. Activities ..................................................................................................18

Legal and Political Rights ...................................................................................................19

Related U.S. Activities ..................................................................................................19

Selected International Activities ................................................................................................20

U.N. System Efforts ............................................................................................................21

Other International Efforts ..................................................................................................21

Policy Issues for Congress ........................................................................................................22

Scope, Effectiveness, and Funding of U.S. Programs...........................................................23

Integration into Foreign Assistance Programs and Additional Funding................................23

Coordination Among U.S. Agencies and Departments .........................................................24

Collaboration with International Organizations....................................................................24

Possible Program Implementation Challenges .....................................................................24

Infrastructure and Priorities ...........................................................................................24

Most Effective Approaches?..........................................................................................25

Program Evaluation ......................................................................................................25

Lack of Comparable Data..............................................................................................26

Current and Emerging Issues...............................................................................................26

Links to Security...........................................................................................................26

The Role of Men and Boys............................................................................................27

Violence and HIV/AIDS ...............................................................................................27

Discrimination and Violence .........................................................................................27

Possible Economic Impacts ...........................................................................................28

International Violence Against Women: U.S. Response and Policy Issues

Congressional Research Service

Tables

Table 1. Examples of Violence Against Women ...........................................................................5

Appendixes

Appendix. Selected U.S. Agencies and Offices/Bureaus that Address Global Violence

Against Women......................................................................................................................29

Contacts

Author Contact Information ......................................................................................................30



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This information is provided to subscribers, friends, faculty, students and alumni of the School of Industrial & Labor Relations (ILR). It is a service of the Institute for Workplace Studies (IWS) in New York City. Stuart Basefsky is responsible for the selection of the contents which is intended to keep researchers, companies, workers, and governments aware of the latest information related to ILR disciplines as it becomes available for the purposes of research, understanding and debate. The content does not reflect the opinions or positions of Cornell University, the School of Industrial & Labor Relations, or that of Mr. Basefsky and should not be construed as such. The service is unique in that it provides the original source documentation, via links, behind the news and research of the day. Use of the information provided is unrestricted. However, it is requested that users acknowledge that the information was found via the IWS Documented News Service.

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Stuart Basefsky                   
Director, IWS News Bureau                
Institute for Workplace Studies 
Cornell/ILR School                        
16 E. 34th Street, 4th Floor             
New York, NY 10016                        
                                   
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