ANNUAL REPORT 2003 Democratization Gender Equality strategies for increasing participation of women in all aspects of society, council members acquired practical skills to address women's issues. As an added benefit, these training programmes also provided a forum for council members to establish working-level links with existing women's networks. The Gender Unit also provided expertise and assistance in revising Armenia's National Action Plan on Improving the Status of Women. In Azerbaijan, the ODIHR provided training and assistance to focal points on women's issues in a number of ministries, as well as to the Government Committee on Women's Issues. Ambassador Danielle del Marmol of Belgium speaks at the ODIHR Human Dimension Seminar on Participation of Women in Public and Economic Life, which was held in Warsaw in May. 3. Preventing and combating domestic violence In its approach to prevent and combat domestic violence, not a private issue, but a crime. The workshops also dealt the ODIHR tries to sensitize law-enforcement officials to the with international practices on combating domestic violence issue, raising awareness that violence is not a private matter; and gave local police officers an opportunity to discuss ex- it is a crime and, as such, cannot be tolerated. It also pro- periences with members of the Austrian federal police and motes co-operation between law-enforcement bodies and Ministry of the Interior. NGOs on mechanisms to combat violence, which in effect improves local capacity to deal with this difficult issue appropriately. Future priorities In 2003, the ODIHR conducted a programme called "Pre- Gender Unit programmes require a long-term commitment. venting Violence against Women" in Armenia, Azerbaijan, As such, future priorities remain essentially the same as pres- and Georgia. In Azerbaijan, the programme called for the ent priorities. In 2004-2005, the ODIHR plans to continue establishment of working groups in the Ministry of the Inte- with its programmes in Central Asia and the South Cauca- rior, the Prosecutor-General's Office, and other structures. sus, specifically in the following five areas: The purpose of these working groups is to develop a co-ordinated plan of action that will ultimately define a strategy active role in preventing and combating domestic violence.


In Armenia and Georgia, the ODIHR conducted awareness-
and mechanisms for law-enforcement bodies to take on an raising workshops on the role of the police in combating
domestic violence. The aim of these workshops was to introduce police officers to the idea that domestic violence is 31 Developing women's leadership; Gender education for young women and men; Building and strengthening local expertise on gender issues; Integration of gender aspects into the work of government structures; and Preventing and combating violence against women.