This year, 1998, is the 50th Anniversary of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. Yet half a century after the international community committed itself to protecting and promoting the human rights of all, millions of women around the world continue to experience violations of their most fundamental rights. UNIFEM is devoting 1998 to highlighting and promoting women's human rights and early in the year initiated a Global Campaign to eliminate violence against women.

The Asia-Pacific campaign was launched in the Philippines on 30th August 1998 under the slogan "A Life Free of Violence: It's Our Right".

UNIFEM launched the global campaign in early 1998 in the Latin America and Caribbean region as an inter-agency activity involving UNICEF, UNDP, UNFPA, UN/AIDS, UN/OHCHR and ECLAC. In Africa, the UNIFEM Elimination of Violence Against Women Campaign was launched in late July, 1998 in Nigeria.

Violence against women is a widespread and complicated phenomenon. On this site you will find one document that describes the forms of gender violence and where each occurs, and a second that outlines a strategy for combatting gender violence. Our briefing kit titled Trafficking of Women and Children - Mekong sub region provides a sub-regional overview of some of the main issues in trafficking in women and children. It outlines possible strategies for action by Government, non-governmental agencies, public and private institutions and the United Nations organizations acting in partnership. Our Gender Issues Fact Sheet 2 Trafficking in Women and Children also deals with this major issue.

There will be Asia-Pacific region activities in the areas of public awareness raising, information development and dissemination, workshops and seminars, and promotion of "A life free of violence". Our diary page lists specific activities during the duration of the campaign aimed at eliminating violence against women in the East and South East Asia area. Our directory page lists organisations active in the elimination of violence against women, including contact details. Join us in the Campaign - send us a Factsheet about what your organization is doing to eliminate violence against women in the East and South East Asia region during the Campaign timescale, and we will provide coverage of your activity in our diary and directory pages.

UNIFEM is also active in the prevention and elimination of violence against women through projects that are supported by the UNIFEM Trust Fund.

You might be interested in our Campaign T-shirts. They provided the logo that we are using on our Web site home page during the Campaign, and on many of our Campaign pages.

Dated: 31 Oct 1998