ABA Honors Special Rapporteur Rashida Manjoo

Earlier this month the ABA section on litigation honored U.N. Special Rapporteur on Violence Against Women Rashida Manjoo with their 2014 Human Rights Award.  In presenting the award the Section Chair, Don Bivens, reflected on Prof. Manjoo's courageous speaking truth to power. 

Many of us are familiar with Prof. Manjoo's work on gender issues.  Prof. Manjoo's academic post is with the Department of Public Law at the University of Cape Town.  Prof. Manjoo has a strong record of working for gender equity.  As U.N. Speciall Rapporteur she has worked tirelessly to address violence against women globally. Her post as Rapporteur will end next year also ending her instense international travel as Rapporteur.  She has assessed the severity and forms of violence against women in many countries, including the United States.

Prof. Manjoo was gracious in her acceptance talk, thanking the section for allowing her time to pause "before the work begins again tomorrow."  To read the complete remarks click here.

Part of Prof. Manjoo's work the following day was a  presenation to the ABA Commission on Domestic and Sexual Violence.  Professor Manjoo reminded the Commission that accountability should be the norm, specifically mentioning the Lenahan case.  Aside from due diligence obligations, when the state fails to ensure accountability and the state fails in providing effective responses to violence against women. The state further fails in providing transformative justice. 

Recognizing the state's dual obligation to the individual harmed and to society, governments fail in their obligation toward both.  Prof. Manjoo instucted that lawyers can help shift the state's recognition of its obligations by using the language of the state's dual obligation. 

Prof. Manjoo discussed that U.S. failure to ratify CEDAW and its failure to pass the International Violence Against Women Act as well as other gender equity issues.   These failures are symbolic of the U.S. failure to end discrimination against women.

In addition to seeking and receiving information, Prof. Manjoo noted that part of her work as Rapporteur is to ignite civil society action.  This latter mission has had limited results in many regards.  While some action has resulted from Prof. Manjoo's work, lawyers have a special duty to act.

As lawyers, we have the power and obligation to hold the state accountable.