CEDAW/C/GC/35 and suffering experienced by women, 24 and that the purpose and intent requirements for classifying such acts as torture are satisfied when acts or omissions are gender specific or perpetrated against a person on the basis of sex. 25 18. Violations of women’s sexual and reproductive health and rights, such as forced sterilization, forced abortion, forced pregnancy, criminalization of abortion, denial or delay of safe abortion and/or post-abortion care, forced continuation of pregnancy, and abuse and mistreatment of women and girls seeking sexual and reproductive health information, goods and services, are forms of gender -based violence that, depending on the circumstances, may amount to torture or cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment. 26 19. The Committee regards gender-based violence against women as being rooted in gender-related factors, such as the ideology of men’s entitlement and privilege over women, social norms regarding masculinity, and the need to assert male control or power, enforce gender roles or prevent, discourage or punish what is considered to be unacceptable female behaviour. Those factors also contribute to the explicit or implicit social acceptance of gender-based violence against women, often still considered a private matter, and to the widespread impunity in that regard. 20. Gender-based violence against women occurs in all spaces and spheres of human interaction, whether public or private, including in the contexts of the family, the community, public spaces, the workplace, leisure, politics, sport, health services and educational settings, and the redefinition of public and private through technology-mediated environments, 27 such as contemporary forms of violence occurring online and in other digital environments. In all those settings, genderbased violence against women can result from acts or omissions of State or non-State actors, acting territorially or extraterritorially, including extraterritorial military actions of States, individually or as members of international or intergovernmental organizations or coalitions, 28 or extraterritorial operations of private corporations. 29 __________________ 24 25 26 27 28 29 17-12719 For example, to understand that “severe suffering of the victim is inherent in rape, even when there is no evidence of physical injuries or disease. … Women victims of rape also experience complex consequences of a psychological and social nature.” Inter -American Court of Human Rights, Fernández Ortega et al. v. Mexico, judgment of 30 August 2010, para. 124. See also the reports of the Special Rapporteur on torture and other cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment or punishment (A/HRC/31/57), para. 8, and (A/HRC/7/3), para. 36. Committee against Torture, communication No. 262/2005, V.L. v. Switzerland, views adopted on 20 November 2006; reports of the Special Rapporteur on torture and other cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment or punishment (A/HRC/31/57), para. 8, and (A/HRC/7/3). Report of the Special Rapporteur on torture and other cruel, inhuman or degradi ng treatment or punishment (A/HRC/31/57); Committee on the Elimination of Discrimination against Women, communication No. 22/2009, L.C. v. Peru, views adopted on 17 October 2011, para. 8.18; and Human Rights Committee, communications No. 2324/2013, Mellet v. Ireland, views adopted on 31 March 2016, para. 7.4, and No. 2425/2014, Whelan v. Ireland, views adopted on 17 March 2017. See the report of the Secretary-General entitled “In-depth study on all forms of violence against women” (A/61/122/Add.1 and Corr.1). For example, as part of an international peacekeeping force. See general recommendation No. 30, para. 9. Concluding observations of the Committee on the periodic reports of Switzerland (CEDAW/C/CHE/CO/4-5) and Germany (CEDAW/C/DEU/CO/7-8). 7/19