Violence against women: the health sector responds

Edited by M Velzeboer, M Ellsberg, C Clavel Arcas, et al . Washington, DC: PAHO, 2003, US $22.00, pp 131. ISBN 92-751229-2 This book is based on the formulation, development, and implementation of the PAHO’s integrated strategy to cope with gender based violence (GBV). The convention on the elimination of all forms of discrimination against women (CEDAW,1 1979) and the inter-American convention on the prevention, punishment and eradication of violence2 were the principal promoters of a political framework for action against GBV in all states. However, as the authors say, the health sector had traditionally ignored these calls. For this reason, the PAHO with the program for appropiate technology in health (PATH) and the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) have published this book to show the results of the assessments developed since 1993 to promote changes not only in service …