Women's Rights Network
2000 - 2004
Directors: Monica Ghosh Driggers, J.D., Carrie Cuthbert, Kim Slote
As of October 1, 2003, the Women's Rights Network (WRN) is no longer running active projects. However, aspects of the work pioneered by WRN continue in exciting ways. Monica Ghosh Driggers, WRN's Policy Director, is developing a new initiative, the Gender and Justice Project, that will investigate the problems that arise when issues of gender clash with the justice system. She will also follow the developments that grow out of WRN's most recent initiative, the Battered Mother's Testimony Project.
History and Guiding Principles
Program Areas and Projects
Founding Co-Directors
In addition, the following publications and resources developed by WRN continue to be available through the Wellesley Centers for Women's publications office (781-283-2510):
The Battered Mothers' Testimony Project: A Human Rights Report on Child Custody & Domestic Violence in Massachusetts . Begun in 1999, the Battered Mothers' Testimony Project is the current focus of WRN's work. This statewide project combines human rights fact-finding, qualitative research, advocacy, and community organizing to document and address the injustices inflicted on battered mothers and their children during family court child custody and visitation litigation.
To our knowledge, the Battered Mothers' Testimony Project is the first human rights initiative to address child custody and domestic violence issues.
"Gender-based violence, which impairs or nullifies the enjoyment by women of human rights and fundamental freedoms under general international law or under human rights conventions, is discrimination" (Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination Against Women, General Recommendation)
" Violence against women shall be understood to encompass 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" (U.N. Declaration on the Elimination of Violence against Women, Article 2)
" States should condemn violence against women and should not invoke any custom, tradition or religious consideration to avoid their obligations with respect to its elimination. States should pursue by all appropriate means and without delay a policy of eliminating violence against women." (UN Declaration on the Elimination of Violence against Women, Article 4)
“ [Governments] shall take all appropriate [steps] to protect the child all forms of physical or mental violence, injury or abuse, neglect or negligent treatment, maltreatment or exploitation, including sexual abuse, while in the care of parent(s), legal guardian(s) or any other person who has the care of the child. (U.N. Convention on the Rights of the Child, Article 19)
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