SRI & Women for Women’s Human Rights – New Ways submits report on early and forced marriage to OHCHR

Published on January 09, 2014

Pursuant to HRC resolution A/HRC/RES/24/23 on child, early and forced marriage, the Sexual Rights Initiative (SRI) & Women for Women’s Human Rights (New Ways), based on Turkey, submitted a report on preventing and eliminating child, early and forced marriage. The report explores the terminology of ‘child, early and forced’ marriage,’ the human rights dimensions of the issue, and strategies and recommendations to address and prevent early and forced marriage. Some of the recommendations include:

  • Ensuring that strategies to address early and forced marriage be human rights-based and tailored to meet the specific needs and realities of those affected by or vulnerable to the practice.
  • Adopting intersectoral, varied, long-term and multi-level approaches and investments that examine the issue of early and forced marriage within other diverse contexts, taking into account legal, social, economic, cultural, religious and traditional factors.
  • Developing a common understanding with regard to the language. The term ‘early and forced marriage’ read intersectionally is the preferred formulation.
  • Recognizing and addressing the root causes of these practices is therefore critical to ending the practice.
  • Take all necessary measures to recognize and address the human rights dimensions of these practices and take active measures to realize the human rights of all women and girls
  • Ensuring governments review existing laws that deal with marital rape, with a view to criminalize marital rape.
  • Ensuring that young women and girls are involved in developing policies and programmes to realize their rights, especially those at risk of or affected by early and forced marriage

 

To full report can be downloaded here