Make Europe a zero tolerance zone for violence against womenNovember 24th 2011 On the occasion of the International Day of Elimination of Violence against Women (25 November 2011), FORWARD, Amnesty International and the TUC has urged the UK, the European Union (EU) as well as all other members of the Council of Europe to sign and ratify the Council of Europe Convention on preventing and combating violence against women and domestic violence. Amnesty International has expressed the view that it is unacceptable that every day one in five women in Europe suffers violence. It is estimated that the annual cost of violence against women for each and every one of the 47 countries in the Council of Europe could be as high as €34 billion. For each man, woman and child in a Council of Europe country, the cost could be as high as €555 per annum*. This is a huge financial burden for each country. “For women to feel secure on the streets, in offices and in their homes, states and the EU must address all aspects of violence against women, including prevention, protection, prosecution and reparations. The first step is by joining the Convention and prioritising the issue of violence against women”, said Nicolas Beger, Director of Amnesty International’s European Institutions Office. The UK assumed the chairmanship of the Council of Europe on 7 November 2011, pledging to focus on the promotion and protection of human rights. As such, the UK should take the lead by signing and ratifying the Convention. “The UK has a unique opportunity to continue its strong record on human rights, and to take the lead in ensuring that the Convention comes into force,” said Naana Otoo-Oyortey, Executive Director of FORWARD. Scarlet Harris, Women's Equality Officer, TUC: “Violence against women presents a huge threat to the equality and wellbeing of millions of women and girls worldwide. By not signing the Council of Europe convention on combating and preventing violence against women and domestic violence (CAHVIO), the UK government is sending a signal that violence against women – nationally and internationally – is not a priority. The UK shouldn’t have any problem in signing up the principles set out in CAHVIO, but by not doing so, the government are weakening the hand of others in countries where a strong convention could start to address major problems in the handling of violence against women and domestic violence. The TUC has today (25th November) started a petition urging the government to sign.” In the last two years, the European Commission and the Council of the European Union under the presidencies of Sweden, Spain and Belgium have made significant strides in addressing violence against women, through the adoption of a Women’s Charter, a gender equality strategy and the promise of a European strategy to combat violence against women. However, action has not yet matched the level of commitment. “The EU’s commitments to combating violence against women must be brought to life. By signing the Council of Europe Convention, it can ensure that Europe becomes a zero-tolerance zone for violence against women and women and girls are protected from all forms of violence”, concluded Beger. Background information: The Council of Europe Convention is a comprehensive, legally-binding international treaty with provisions for prevention, protection of victims and prosecution of offenders. Amnesty International had welcomed the adoption of the Convention in May 2011 as a major step towards ending violence against women in Europe. The ministerial session of the Council of Europe’s Committee of Ministers in Istanbul on 10-11 May 2011 adopted the Council of Europe Convention on preventing and combating violence against women and domestic violence. The Convention will enter into force once 10 countries have ratified it. The Convention is open to Council of Europe member states; however other countries and the European Union can equally join the treaty. So far only 17 countries have signed it and no country has yet ratified the convention. List of countries that have signed the Convention: http://conventions.coe.int/Treaty/Commun/ChercheSig.asp?NT=210&CM=8&DF=18/11/2011&CL=ENG Link to the TUC petition is: http://action.goingtowork.org.uk/page/s/tell-the-uk-government-to-match-its-rhetoric-on-violence-against-women *Frequently asked questions, Stop Domestic Violence against women campaign, Council of Europe website: http://www.coe.int/t/dg2/equality/DOMESTICVIOLENCECAMPAIGN/FAQ_en.asp#P59_4532 ENDS |