The Academic Council on the United Nations System (ACUNS) released its 9th volume on Femicide today in Vienna, Austria, entitled Femicide, State Accountability and Punishment. One of the contributors was CSSLRV Director Myrna Dawson who discusses femicide and punishment in the Canadian context as well as the recent launch of the Canadian Femicide Observatory for Justice and Accountability (CFOJA), a web-based research and information centre. The new volume seeks to underscore state and international responsibility to prosecute perpetrators of femicide while simultaneously addressing the needs of victims. Contributors also discuss various methods of maintaining state accountability including, but not limited to, national observatories and various legislation aimed at preventing violence against women internationally. Responding to these issues, the University of Guelph-based CFOJA is working to analyze varying federal/provincial/territorial legislation on femicide and to identify stereotypes and biases that underpin social and state responses. Other contributors to the volume represent various countries and regions including Europe and Latin America.
