In 1993, the United Nations adopted the Declaration on the Elimination of Violence against Women. Since then, various international norms and agreements have attempted to address the issues of gender-based violence and violence against women. Lars Engberg-Pedersen, Head of Unit and Senior Researcher at the Danish Institute for International Studies, studied the evolution of those norms over time. How is violence against women framed in those international norms? Which actors are included or forgotten? Who has a responsibility to act?

Discussing his observations with Reem Alsalem, UN Special Rapporteur on violence against women, they address the current data on violence against women, the economic, social and political implications of women being subjected to violence, and the role of the international community to end this violence.

This episode is moderated by Hannah Reinl, co-lead of the Gender Programme for the think tank foraus and gender expert.

For further readings:

• Lars Engberg-Pedersen, Changing global norms on the elimination of violence against women, DIIS Working Paper, 11 November 2021
• Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR), Special Rapporteur on violence against women, its causes and consequences 

For a list of international standards on violence against women:

• OHCHR, Gender-based violence against women and girls 

"Shaping the future" is a podcast produced by the Think Tank Hub Geneva and recorded by Cornland Studio.

www.thinktankhubgeneva.org