“This conference is a critical step in helping States address the global crisis of violence against women.” – Cheryl Thomas.

(Minneapolis / St. Paul) Cheryl Thomas, Director of the Women’s Human Rights Program at The Advocates for Human Rights, was selected to be one of 15 experts from around the world to participate in a United Nations Expert Group Meeting on good practices in legislation on violence against women.

The meeting will take place in Vienna on May 26-28, 2008, and is being hosted by the U.N. Division for the Advancement of Women of the Department of Economic and Social Affairs (UNDAW/DESA) in collaboration with the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC). The expert group will analyze different legislative approaches; assess lessons learned in regard to laws and legislative reforms on violence against women; and identify effective approaches and recommend future strategies for legislation on violence against women.

The meeting is in response to the December 2006 study on all forms of violence against women by the Secretary-General of the U.N., as well as a U.N. General Assembly resolution of December 19, 2006, calling upon Member States and the United Nations system to intensify their efforts to eliminate all forms of violence against women.

As part of her participation in the meeting, Thomas will prepare and discuss a paper on effective legislation on violence against women in the region of Eastern Europe, where The Advocates has worked for fifteen years. A committed professional in the field, Thomas has worked with The Advocates since 1993 to apply international human rights standards to advocate for women's rights in the United States and around the world. Partnering with local organizations overseas, The Advocates has documented domestic violence, rape, employment discrimination, sexual harassment in the workplace, and trafficking in women and girls. The Advocates has published 18 reports in 13 countries in follow up to this monitoring. The reports include analysis of the country's legislation related to women's rights and of the local law enforcement system, as well as recommendations on bringing laws and practice into conformity with human rights obligations.

The UN Expert Group will prepare a report with guidelines and a model framework for legislation on violence against women, to be used by States as they continue to work on legal reform on this critical issue.

The Advocates for Human Rights is a non-governmental, 501(c)3 organization dedicated to the promotion and protection of internationally recognized human rights. With the help of over 600 volunteers, The Advocates investigates and exposes human rights violations; represents immigrants and refugees in our community who are victims of human rights abuses, trains and assists groups that protect human rights; and works through education and advocacy in Minnesota to engage the public, policy makers and children about human rights and cultural understanding. The Advocates for Human Rights holds Special Consultative Status with the United Nations.