Engendering torture: the experience of the Committee against Torture

Abstract

ABSTRACT This article traces the development of attention to the role of sex and gender regarding the practice of torture and ill-treatment by the Committee against Torture (CAT), a core UN human rights treaty monitoring body. It traces the experiences of the author during her initial years as a member of the CAT regarding issues of gender and gender-based violations of the Convention against Torture (UNCAT). It shows how an integrationist strategy broadened the scope of the CAT members, particularly with regard to bringing attention to previously invisible violations that women suffer. The article also explains how these interpretations were enshrined in the landmark General Comment No. 2 of the CAT, which consolidates and clarifies the obligations of States parties to the UNCAT.