Unit 2: Gender issues in the world of work

International Labour Organization
SEAPAT
South-East Asia and the Pacific Multidisciplinary Advisory Team
ILO/SEAPAT's OnLine Gender Learning & Information Module

Unit 2: Gender issues in the world of work

Emerging gender issues in the Asia Pacific region

Violence against women

United Nations definition of violence against women

The Declaration on the Elimination of Violence Against Women, adopted by the United Nations General Assembly in 1993, defines violence against women as:

"any act of gender-based violence that results in, or is likely to result in, physical, sexual or psychological harm or suffering to women, including threats of such acts, coercion or arbitrary deprivation of liberty, whether occurring in public or in private life."

It encompasses, but is not limited to:

"physical, sexual and psychological violence occurring in the family, including
- battering
- sexual abuse of female children in the household
- dowry related violence
- marital rape
- female genital mutilation and other traditional practices harmful to women
- non-spousal violence and violence related to exploitation
physical, sexual and psychological violence occurring within the general community, including
- rape
- sexual abuse
- sexual harassment and intimidation at work, in educational institutions and elsewhere
- trafficking in women and forced prostitution
physical, sexual and psychological violence perpetrated or condoned by the state, wherever it occurs."

Module Homepage

For further information, please contact the South-East Asia and the Pacific Multidisciplinary
Advisory Team (SEAPAT) at Tel: +63.2.815.2354 or Fax: +63.2.812.6143
E-mail: seapat@ilo.org

This page was revised by SF. It was approved by WRB. It was last updated on 2 November 1998.