As a precursor to Amnesty International's forthcoming massive campaign
for rights for women in 2004, they are asking Russian Authorities to
extend appropriate levels of protection from violence to women.

They are asking people to write letters to Russian governmental
departments on the issues of:

domestic violence
ill-treatment in custody
trafficking of women
violence against women in chechnya.

Letter 1

The Optional protocol to CEDAW came into force on 22 December 2000. It
offers individuals and groups a means to seek redress at international
level for violations of their rights under the convention.

The government of the Russian Federation took a positive step towards
providing justice for women when it signed the Optional Protocol on 8
May 2001. We now urge it to ratify the Optional Protocol immediately,
which requires integrating it into domestic law and implementing it.

Please write to the Minister for Foreign Affairs raising the above
points:

Minister for Foreign Affairs
Igor Ivanov
Ministry of Foreign Affairs
Smolenskaia-Sennaia pl. 32/34
121200 Moscow
Russian Federation
Letter 2

We are calling on the Russian Federation to respect and protect
women's rights in Russia, by taking immediate action on the CEDAW
committee's recommendations, in particular:

Take steps to protect women and girls in detention or under
investigation from violence by officials, including sexual violence.
Adopt measures to address violence against women in the family and
society, including specific legislation, effective enforcement
procedures, access to legal aid and a vigorous awareness-raising
campaign to inform women of their rights. Devise a strategy to combat
the trafficking of women Provide training for law enforcement
personnel at all levels on violence against women.

Please write to the Minister of Internal Affairs in Russia,
respectfully urging him to take immediate action on the UN CEDAW
Committee's recommendations:

Minister of Internal Affairs
Boris Gryzlov
Ministry of Internal Affairs
Ul. Zhitnaia, 16
117049 Moscow
Russian Federation
Letter 3

Women's organisations in Russia have made great progress at regional
level in providing crisis centres and training state officials (in
particular the police). We want to encourage the Russian authorities
to make use of the resources and experience available from these
organisations.

Remind the government of its responsibility to protect the thousands
of women at risk of violence each year and to act to stop these
abuses. Ask the government to engage with the women's organisations in
Russia working on these issues to develop a national plan of action on
domestic violence.

Please write to:

First Deputy Minister of Labour and Social Development
Galina N. Karelova
Birzhevaia Ploshchad 1
109012 Moscow
Russian Federation

Head of the Working Group on Combating Violence against Women
Police Colonel Tamara V. Veligurova
Ministry of Internal Affairs
Ulitsa Zhitnaia 16
117049 Moscow
Russian Federation

For more information please go here:

http://www.amnesty.org.uk/justiceforallinrussia/ac
tion/iwd/action/write.shtml