Commission on Status of Women
Topic: A
Elimination of Violence Against Women
in Developing Nations
CSW Topic A
Submitted by: Russian Federation
School: Lincoln-West H.S
Committee: CSW
Delegates: Ghaida Hmeidan and Elijah Scarbro
Topic A: Elimination of Violence Against Women in Developing Nations
Women around the world suffer from violence. Specifically, in Russia, women are exposed
to rape, prostitution, forced marriages, and etc. One of these problems, shared by the community of
developing nations, is the lack of gender equality. About a third of Russian women suffer
domestic violence every day. A woman dies every hour in every day. An estimated 14,000
Russian women are killed every year, on average, by partners or other family members,
according to a Russian Government report to the Committee on the Elimination of all Forms of
Discrimination Against Women. Despite many years of discussions, domestic abuse is still not
recognized as a crime and this hampers help for the victims. According to data released by the
Federal State Statistics Service, 40 percent of women in Russia are subject to verbal abuse and 20
percent are subject to physical violence by their husbands.
Russian Federation, as a developing nation, recognizes many problems concerning violence
against women. This issue in Russia is pervasive. Russia has a Berlin-based women’s rights
campaigner at Human Rights Watch. We are behind when it comes to legal protection for women.
Moreover, it doesn’t have the basic parameters that women need to be protected from domestic
abuse. The economic costs of domestic violence are incredibly high, so it’s not just important for
women, it’s important for the development of the country itself. This is Russia’s initial proposal.
Specifically, the Russian Federation has ratified The Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of
Discrimination against Women (CEDAW) and its optional protocol, which oblige the government to
take affirmative steps to address not only gender-based discrimination, but also violence against
women.
Governments and public authorities must take all necessary measures to
combat violence against women, in both the public and private spheres, whether committed by state
CSW Topic A
representatives or non-state actors.3 Such measures include reforming legislation and ensuring that
perpetrators are investigated, prosecuted and sanctioned. The failure to hold perpetrators
accountable
breeds a climate of impunity and sends a clear signal to society that violence against women is
acceptable.
Work Cited:
Boldyrev, Oleg. "The Silent Nightmare of Domestic Violence in Russia." BBC News Europe.
28 Feb. 2013. Web. 6 Nov. 2014.
Division, U.N. Statistics. "The Silent Nightmare of Domestic Violence in Russia." The
Advocates for Human Rights. 1 June 2011. Web. 6 Nov. 2014.
CSW Topic A