In the face of women’s disproportionate experience of violence and the growing scholarly literature and advocacy on this issue, there is no international treaty recognising violence against women (VAW) as a human rights violation in and of itself. The Convention on the Elimination of Discrimination against Women (CEDAW) does not include a definition of gender-based violence, violence against women or even domestic violence. Many soft law documents address VAW, including the CEDAW committee’s general recommendations. However, even though soft laws are persuasive in developing norms, their non-binding character effectively means that States cannot be held responsible for violations. Currently, to accommodate VAW within various treaties, certain ‘jurisdictional gymnastics’ must be done. This article argues that a critical re-characterization is necessary. The reality of women’s lives in many parts of the world necessitates an effective international legal framework that explicitly defines VAW, in all its forms, as a human rights violation.

中文翻译：

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国际人权法的沉默：联合国关于暴力侵害妇女行为条约的必要性

面对妇女遭受暴力的比例过高以及有关这一问题的学术文献和宣传不断增多的情况，目前还没有任何国际条约承认对妇女的暴力行为（VAW）本身就是一种侵犯人权行为。《消除对妇女歧视公约》（CEDAW）并未包含基于性别的暴力、针对妇女的暴力甚至家庭暴力的定义。许多软法律文件都涉及暴力侵害妇女行为，包括消除对妇女歧视委员会的一般性建议。然而，尽管软法律在制定规范方面具有说服力，但其不具约束力的特性实际上意味着国家不能对违法行为承担责任。目前，为了将暴力侵害妇女行为纳入各种条约，必须进行某些“管辖体操”。本文认为有必要进行批判性的重新定性。世界许多地区妇女生活的现实需要一个有效的国际法律框架，将一切形式的暴力侵害妇女行为明确界定为侵犯人权行为。