Violence Against Women: Conference Program

3:00 pm - OPENING SESSION
Moderator: Lorraine Koonce, Esq.

Opening Speech
Linda Weil-Curiel, Lawyer and Human Rights Activist

Introduction to the Istanbul Convention as an instrument of change
Carolina Lasen Diaz, Programme Officer, Gender Equality Division, Council of Europe

3:30 pm - SESSION 1
CRIMES AGAINST WOMEN IN CONCEPT AND LAW

Prosecution of gender-based violence
Nazir Afzal OBE, Chief Crown Prosecutor for the North West of England

State Monitoring and reporting obligations under the CEDAW Convention
Violeta Neubauer, Member of the Committee on the Elimination of Discrimination Against Women (CEDAW)

Defense of women seeking asylum based on gender violence
Jennifer Obaseki, Solicitor specializing in Immigration Law, Senior Partner, Obaseki Solicitors

4:10 pm - SESSION 2
CRIMES AGAINST WOMEN IN TIMES OF CONFLICT

An overview of Security Council Resolutions 1325 and 2122
H.E. Ursula Plassnik, Austrian Ambassador to France, former Minister of Foreign Affairs of Austria

The role of the media in exposing mass rape in conflict
Marlise Simons, Journalist, The New York Times

4:35 pm - Break

4:50 pm - SESSION 3
CRIMES AGAINST WOMEN DERIVING FROM RELIGION, CUSTOM AND TRADITION

How culture operates to control and subordinate women
Dr. Ruchi Anand, Professor, American Graduate School in Paris

The causes, consequences and eradication of FGM
Dr. Tobe Levin, Vice-president, FORWARD

The role of honor killings in culture
Navroop K. Sahdev, Graduate Student, Université Paris 13 and University of Turin

5:20 pm - SESSION 4
SEEDS OF HOPE, WINDS OF CHANGE

Testimony
Erin Helfert, Advocate and gender specialist

Issues of gender violence on the internet directed at today's girls, tomorrow's women
Dr. Elizabeth Milovidov, Esq., In-house Consultant for InSafe European Schoolnet
Dr. Susanna Greijer, Project Coordinator at ECPAT (End Child Prostitution, Child Pornography, and the Trafficking of Children for Sexual Purposes) in Luxembourg

Empowering women coming from vulnerable situations
Chiara Condi, Founder and President, HERA France

6:20 pm - CLOSING SESSION

Angela Melo, UNESCO, Director of the Division of Ethics, Youth and Sport in the Social and Human Sciences sector

Closing Remarks
Lorraine Koonce Farahmand, Esq.

Moment of silence in rememberance  for the victims of gender violence

Message from the President of the American Graduate School in Paris
Dr. Eileen Servidio