Particpants in a tailoring programme in the Upper Nile region of Sudan make garments for their community. Skills training programmes help women gain a degree of economic independence, crucial in areas where many women have lost their husbands in armed conflict. Although beliefs and practices do not change magically with the ratification of treaties, they are a vital first step because they lay the groundwork for ongoing social and legal reform. The Convention on the Rights of the Child is critical because of the broad overlay between women s and children s rights. Gender violence becomes a feature of a girl s life long before adulthood, whether in the home or as part of a broader social pattern of abuse.
Specific injunctions target harmful traditional practices, sexual abuse and trafficking in children.
Now that the Convention has been ratified by all but three countries on earth, actions are under way in many nations to make it a real force in children s lives. For example, juvenile justice systems are being reformed in about half the countries in Latin America, and a number of countries, most notably the Philippines, have strengthened laws protecting children against sexual exploitation. Several Latin American countries and Sweden have established ombudswomen to address women s concerns. At least six countries have set up police stations just for women, and Mexico has appointed a special prosecutor for sex crimes. Cameroon and China recently opened their first shelters for domestic abuse victims.