His address emphasised the importance given by the British Government s aid programme to countering violence against women as a major obstacle to women s exercise of their human rights. The panel comprised the Special Representative of the UN Secretary-General for Bosnia and Herzegovina, two prominent Bosnian women s human rights advocates, Jane Gronow and Suzanne Williams. Following the official opening, an account of the history of former Yugoslavia was presented by the Bosnian facilitator. The Bosnian war taught the world about rape and violence against women as a weapon of war, which for the first time in the history of wars, was openly discussed and much publicised. 3.2 Definitions, prevalence and forms Definitions of violence were drawn from international conventions and declarations, guidelines for agencies, and national reports.
Different definitions are helpful in different contexts.
For example, a definition used in implementing international law may not be useful for workers in a shelter trying to work out guidelines for safety of the victim. For the handout on definitions of violence, see Appendix 7.1 Different forms of violence are suffered by women and girls throughout their life-cycle. Many forms were common to all stages, such as humiliation, beating, sexual and psychological harassment and abuse. Forced abortion was reported as a risk for young women in several countries, whilst for older women, major health risks are associated with neglect. Rape and sexual assault are perpetrated against girls and women throughout the life cycle and across all cultures.