NCJ Number
157250
Date Published
1995
Length
16 pages
Annotation
This report presents the results of various studies on the victimization of women in developing countries.
Abstract
The United Nations Division for the Advancement of Women collected a series of case studies and country reports based on official statistics, country or local surveys, and reports presented at symposia and meetings. The report is divided into two parts. The first part, entitled "Voices From the Developing Countries," looks at various issues of violence against women in the developing world based on examples contained in the International Bibliography on Violence in the Family, a number of reports on the situation of women made available to the United Nations in the framework of the activities of the Division for the Advancement of Women, the Special Rapporteur on violence against women, preparations for the Fourth World Conference on Women to be held in Beijing, People's Republic of China, and selected NGO reports presented at United Nations meetings. The second part, entitled "Women Victims of Crime," draws on the results of the International Crime (Victim) Survey, which also included 13 developing countries. The International Bibliography on Violence in the Family shows a paucity of studies and information on the victimization of women in developing countries. Some of the issues examined are violence in the family, victimization related to traditional practices, trafficking in women, and women and armed conflicts. This review concludes that violence against women in society and within the family is related to the problem of women's oppression both in the developed and developing countries. Although the available information is partial, it shows that women in the developing countries are at greater risk of various forms of victimization related both to traditional gender inequality and to changes in gender roles related to modern trends. Measures to resolve these problems cannot rely solely on criminal law; law enforcement can sometimes result in a secondary victimization. It is also ill- equipped for dealing with the factors that often influence the relationship between the offender and the victim. Measures should include compensatory and civil solutions, victim support measures, education, and mass-media awareness campaigns. Different types of violence require different remedies. 5 figures