Domestic violence top issue tackled by HRC

The Human Rights Commission’s women department received 350 complaints from 71 women during 2011.Domestic violence and abuse accounted for most of the cases.Two-hundred-and-sixty-five cases were dealt with immediately through mediation without involving other official bodies. The commission found solutions for 85 cases in collaboration with other bodies, dealt with 73 on its own and referred six to specialized official bodies.According to the supervisor of the women's department at the HRC Siham Al-Moamar, there are six cases currently being examined. The women department at HRC revealed in its report that it referred to other official bodies 26 cases of domestic violence and abuse, 10 cases involving complaints from detainees and prisoners, eight cases involving citizenship rights, seven cases involving the right to movement and transportation, seven cases involving property and ownership rights, and five cases involving marriage and family rights.Complaints that were reviewed and resolved included four involving the right to a safe work environment, four involving the right to education and welfare, nine involving the right to health and social care, along with some cases involving the neglect of women's financial rights. Al-Moamar pointed out that the largest portion of complaints were presented in person, while the other cases were presented by phone, fax, during activities organized by the HRC or by reviewing cases published in the media.The supervisor commended official bodies for their cooperation in trying to find solutions for all forms of abuse of women and children's rights in accordance with statutory procedures, adding that women's awareness of their rights was growing, especially with the HRC's efforts in spreading a human rights culture among women.