on their family and intimate relationships, as well as the possible social and economic consequences that may have affected the victims and their relatives. abusive relationships to avoid homelessness.58 Investigation teams are encouraged to be attentive to women’s specific vulnerability to GBV created by the denial of human rights in the situation under investigation. Example Example Violent events have resulted in a number of victims of rape or other forms of sexual violence being infected with HIV and their precise number “will probably never be determined, since many victims did not seek medical treatment and therefore were not tested”. (S/2009/693, para. 96). “As more women assume the responsibility for feeding their families due to the dire economic and food situation, more women are traversing through and lingering in public spaces, selling and transporting their goods. The male dominated state, agents who police the marketplace, inspectors on trains and soldiers are increasingly committing acts of sexual assault on women in public spaces.”... “[D] iscrimination against women also intersects with a number of other human rights violations, placing women in positions of vulnerability. Violations of the right to food and freedom of movement have resulted in women and girls becoming vulnerable to trafficking ...” (A/HRC/25/CRP.1, paras. 318 and 352) OHCHR investigations, addressing attacks and threats against human rights defenders and journalists, documented and made apparent in the report that women human rights defenders and women journalists were specifically targeted, not only in relation to their human rights activity, or to the messages they broadcast, but for the very fact of being women who are vocal in the public sphere, “noting that the intimidation and harassment is designed not only to deter their own activity, but to deter other women from being vocal in the public sphere”. (A/HRC/31/CRP.3, paras. 231 and 243) Cultural, economic and legal inequalities have made women dependent on male family members for protection, income and housing. Women have been left with little choice but to comply with the wishes of the family, which has increased their risk of exploitation and SGBV. For example, “the risk of losing custody of their children on the basis of discriminatory laws allegedly forced some women widowed during last year’s hostilities to marry the brother of their deceased husband”. (A/HRC/29/CRP.4, para. 596) Similarly, violations of civil, economic, political, cultural and social rights may lead to GBV. Inequalities and discrimination in areas such as employment and access to property and other assets create economic dependency, which reduces women’s capacities to make decisions and increases their vulnerability to violence.57 For example, women whose right to adequate housing is not sufficiently protected are at a greater risk of GBV as they tend to stay in Women’s Rights are Human Rights (United Nations, Sales No. E.14.XIV.5), p. 33. 58 A/61/122/Add.1, para. 86. 57 47