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Rashida Manjoo is an Emeritus Professor at the University of Cape Town in Cape Town and a social activist involved in the eradication of violence against women and gender-based violence. Manjoo was the United Nations' Special Rapporteur on Violence Against Women from June 2009 to July 2015. "Champion of women's rights Rashida Manjoo and pioneering criminologist Ronald V. Clarke to receive honorary degrees from Jay College of Criminal Justice", CUNY, 18 April 2018. "Rashida Manjoo, Special Rapporteur on Violence against Women, its causes and consequences", United Nations Human Rights. Office of the High Commissioner.
The different coalitions for women would reflect the desires and demands of the women in South Africa, especially in reaction to the treatment of women during the apartheid. During the time of apartheid and the following transition period towards democracy, there was rampant state-sponsored violence against women and other minority groups such as student protesters. The Women’s Charter and other groups focused their efforts on increasing awareness of the violence towards women and generating support for those women.Bridging the Divide’: An Interview with Professor Rashida Manjoo, UN Special Rapporteur on Violence Against Women. Rashida Manjoo and Daniela Nadj. 2015. Retrieved 11.15.2018
Manjoo’s work for human rights for women led to her involvement in regional and international discussions on justice for women, including work on the Protocol on Women in Africa (Maputo Protocol), the African Court on Human Rights, and the Rome Treaty (International Criminal Court). Manjoo worked internationally with these groups to recognize how violence against women is manifested and translated those manifestations into categories of crime under international criminal law.
Through the Women’s Caucus for Gender Justice and the Coalition on Sexual Violence in Conflict, Manjoo worked to link women’s local knowledge and presence in global initiatives to support women, and to illuminate the existence of gendered violence and strengthen international criminal law to prevent and prosecute. Manjoo worked to expose the negative effects of violence against women, and the interplay between different individual, family, community, and social factors on violence and the perpetuation of violence against women.Keynote from Rashida Manjoo, UN Special Rapporteur on Violence against Women, its Causes and Consequences. Rashida Manjoo. October 29, 2011. Retrieved 11.15.2018
Manjoo worked as a human rights lawyer throughout her career, including for the Committee on the Elimination of Discrimination against Women (CEDAW) to create shadow reports— which are disclosed reports that can be submitted by Non-governmental Organizations (NGOs) to articulate and advocate for certain needs of citizens which are currently being unsupported or mismanaged by national governments. Manjoo spent time with CEDAW and other activists, drafting a submission on violence against women in both local and global communities, in theory, and practice. Manjoo subsequently served for five years as Parliamentary Commissioner in the Commission on Gender Equality to hold governments accountable to national constitutions; again, using various independent organizations (including NGOs) to regulate the accountability of national governments. This position gave Manjoo the ability to work within a state structure while emphasizing the national need for support of women in the discussion of human rights. Manjoo also used her position on the Commission on Gender Equality to reject the theory of solely analyzing civil and political rights independently, but rather urging for a holistic approach to human rights including intersectional experiences.University of Glasgow School of Law Presentation of Honorary Doctorate Degree. University of Glasgow. 2013. Retrieved 11.15.2018
During Manjoo’s career advocating for activism against oppression and discrimination, Manjoo dedicated efforts to educate students across the globe.
Manjoo provided thematic reports to the UN Human Rights Council and the UN General Assembly. These thematic mandates report on the research collected by the UN Special Rapporteur and their recommended procedures.Annual reports to the Human Rights Council. UN Human Rights Office of the High Commissioner. Retrieved 11.15.2018 Manjoo has continually provided thematic mandates on a variety of issues regarding violence against women.
These thematic mandates include:
The thematic mandates exposed the gap in international criminal law between human rights standards and the treatment and violence against women. She has attempted to influence more accountability on the part of national governments globally, stating states are not being held responsible for their role in violence against women; calling for responsibility “necessary” to for countries to be intolerant to violence against women properly. This call for accountability is clear in Manjoo’s final two thematic reports which claimed, under international law, there are no provisions that impose legally binding obligations on member states to eliminate violence against women. Manjoo is also notable for exposing governments or organizations that are or complacent in the harm of women, which occasionally has led to criticism.Glasgow to Honour UCT Legal Expert on Women’s Rights. Andrea Weiss. April 26, 2016. Retrieved 11.15.2018
Most notably, Manjoo gained national media coverage when, after a 16-day investigation of the UK, Manjoo expressed that the UK had a more visible presence of sexism and sexist portrayals of women, claiming that the British media was to blame for its responsibility in the “negative and over-sexualized portrayals of women” and the “marketization of their bodies.”UN Special Rapporteur Rashida Manjoo says UK has 'sexist culture'. BBC. April 15, 2014. Retrieved 11.15.2018 Many people were upset by this characterization of the UK and criticized Manjoo for her opinions, deeming them an unfair interpretation and representation of the UK We Could Have Had a Proper Debate About Sexism After Rashida Manjoo's Comments. Archie Bland. April 16, 2014. Retrieved 11.15.2018 "UN Special Rapporteur Rashida Manjoo says UK has 'sexist culture'", BBC News, 15 April 2014. In 2014, Manjoo submitted a report on violence and sex crimes in India believing the violence to be widespread and systematic. Referencing her many discussions with women and experts in India as evidence of deep-rooted physical, sexual, and psychological abuse of women occurring in the private sphere and accepted by the State. Officials from India denied that violence against women is systematic, and criticized Manjoo’s statements for being simplistic and an over generalization.India Rebuffs 'Simplistic' UN Criticism Over Sex Crimes. VOA News. June 12, 2014. Retrieved 11.15.2018 Manjoo called for a global treaty to end violence against women in 2014, citing the "absence of a legally binding agreement at the international level represents one of the obstacles to the promotion and protection of women’s rights and gender equality."
She was succeeded by Dr. Dubravka Šimonović in July 2015.
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