Judicial Bench Book on Violence Against Women in East Africa

Violence against women and girls is disturbingly persistent and pervasive worldwide. Domestic violence affects one in three women worldwide, and is the greatest cause of morbidity in women and girls. It kills and injures more women and girls than anything else. Even though most of our Commonwealth member states have laws designed specifically to protect the rights of women who are assaulted or abused, implementation of such legislation can prove really difficult.

Negative aspects of culture and tradition can be impediments to women achieving protection and justice. In the Commonwealth we seek to build in
positive ways on what is good in our shared traditions and heritage, and on our common aspirations for a safer and fairer future for all. The Common Law, shared language, and similar systems of governance and administration give us a truly remarkable advantage when we work together towards the collective goals of the Commonwealth Charter. In order to use these advantages more fully and to wider beneficial effect we undertake work and develop tools to strengthen the capacity of judiciaries in all our jurisdictions. We commission Commonwealth case law reviews on violence against women as a tool and resource for promoting equality.
This Commonwealth Judicial Bench Book on Violence against Women and Girls in East Africa is designed to help judges to make the right decisions, and to promote a greater understanding of violence against women, and the many forms it takes.

Author: Lady Justice Professor Lillian Tibatemwa-Ekirikubinza and Judge Sarah Ondeyo (Retired)
Publisher: Commonwealth Secretariat
Year of Publication: 2016
Classification Number: 362.83 TIB
Download : Judicial-Bench-Book-on-VAWG-Final-version.pdf