United Nations Special Rapporteur Rashida Manjoo will visit Bangladesh from May 20 to 29 to assess the situation of violence against women its causes and consequences in the country. This is the first visit to Bangladesh by an independent expert designated by the UN Human Rights Council to monitor and report on violence against women worldwide, the Office of the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights said on Thursday.
"I am very grateful to the Government of Bangladesh for the invitation to conduct an official visit to the country in such a tragic and difficult moment," Manjoo said, noting the recent catastrophic collapse of a garment factory building and shopping center in Savar, on the outskirts of Dhaka, killing approximately one thousand people, most of whom were young, female garment workers.
The Special Rapporteur will look into the problem of violence against women, its causes and consequences holistically, taking into account all relevant issues affecting women and violence in Bangladesh.
"Every State in the world has a primary responsibility to take effective action to eliminate violence against women, so it is ultimately up to State authorities to make its eradication a reality," the expert stressed. She expressed hope that her "interactions with government and civil society representatives will contribute to the current discussions and efforts in the fight against violence in the country."
During her ten-day visit, Manjoo will meet with government authorities and civil society at the State, District and community levels in Dhaka, among other regions.
The Special Rapporteur will hold a press conference on the initial findings of her visit on May 29.
Based on the information obtained during the mission, Manjoo will present a report with her final findings and recommendations to a forthcoming session of the UN Human Rights Council.
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