30 DE NOVEMBRO DE 2013

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Every year, 25 November reminds us that we have a huge unfinished mission ahead of us. It encourages us

to put even more energy and resolve into our political battle to defeat violence against women, so that one day

we no longer need to mark the occasion of25 November.

Violence against women: a human rights violation, our problem

In a recent report, the World Health Organization defined violence against women as “a global health

problem of epidemic proportions”. This definition is fully justified:

In the world, 35% of women have experienced either physical and/or sexual intimate partner violence or

non-partner sexual violence;

almost 30% of all women who have been in a relationship have experienced physical and/or sexual

violence by their intimate partner;

38% of all murders of women are committed by intimate partners.

But violence against women is not only a health problem. It is a human rights violation. And this is really

what concerns us, as members of this Assembly.

It is a human rights violation which happens all over the world – no country excluded.

And why does it occur? Just because its victims are women.

I tell you more: gender is the most frequent ground for violence and discrimination in the whole world.

Europe is no exception.

This is not a women’s issue. This is a serious human rights issue that cannot leave anybody indifferent. This

is a human rights violation happening in our homes, schools, at work, in the streets. In every social class, in

every community, at any age.

We are all concerned, women and men.

We are all responsible for stopping it. But as parliamentarians we are especially concerned: we have the

duty and the means to stop it.

2013: a turning point

25 November 2013 is different from those that preceded it.

Earlier in March this year, the choice of “violence against women and girls” as the main theme of the annual

meeting of the Commission on the Status of Women, in New York, polarised public, media and political

attention around this topic.

The Commission on the Status of Women brought about remarkable progress. First of all, it was a great

success that final conclusions could be agreed upon (this had not always been the case in the past). Secondly,

these conclusions are strong:

they place emphasis on prevention, and on education as an empowering factor;

they call on the responsibility of men and boys;

they recognise women’s sexual and reproductive rights;

they call for an end to the impunity of perpetrators;

last but not least, they make it clear that religion, culture and tradition cannot be used to excuse

violations of the human rights of women and girls.

Responding to the appeal by United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki Moon on “A Promise is a Promise”

and the initiative “COMMIT to end violence against women”, States from all over the world have committed to

strengthening their action in this area.

Amongst them, are 25 Council of Europe member States. They pledged to strengthen activities in the area

of data collection, awareness-raising, access to justice, availability of shelters and assistance measures for

victims.