Council of Europe Parliamentary Assembly

Parliamentary Network women free from violence
FRANCAIS
About the network List of members Mandate The Convention on preventing and combating violence against women and domestic violence Convention Website “Safe from fear, Safe from violence” Resolution 1861 (2012) and Mr Mendes Bota's report on Promoting the Council of Europe Convention on preventing and combating violence against women and domestic violence The entry into force of the Convention on preventing violence against women must be speeded up Resolution 1635 (2008), Recommendation 1847 (2008) of the Parliamentary Assembly and Mr Mendes Bota’s report on Combating violence against women: towards a Council of Europe Resolution 1582 (2007), Recommendation 1817 (2007) and Mr Mendes Bota's report on "Parliaments united in combating domestic violence against women": mid-term assessment Handbook for parliamentarians Contact

Strasbourg, 26 January 2012 Parliamentarians committed to promoting the Istanbul Convention
Mr José Mendes Bota	The Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe reiterated its commitment to combating violence against women by adopting a resolution on Promoting the Council of Europe Convention on preventing and combating violence against women and domestic violence (Istanbul Convention) prepared by Mr Mendes Bota (Portugal, EPP/CD) on 26 January 2012 in Strasbourg.

In his report, Mr Mendes Bota stresses that the Istanbul Convention is an instrument unique in the world with a strong emphasis on victims’ protection, high standards in the area of prosecution, a holistic approach including prevention and integrated policies and a strong, independent and innovative monitoring mechanism. The Istanbul Convention recognises that freedom from violence is a fundamental human right, without which the other rights are bound to be flouted. It makes clear that violence against women is not a private matter but one which engages the public interest. In his report, Mr Mendes Bota asks the members of the Network of contact parliamentarians committed to combating violence against women to mobilise in order to ask questions to their governments as regards steps being taken towards signature of the Convention; organise or promote parliamentary debates and hearings on the Convention; play a pro-active role in the context of the ratification process and conduct activities to raise awareness about the Convention amongst the general public, practitioners, non-governmental organisations and civil society. His recommendations include the appointment of a coordinator of the Network, an Assembly General Rapporteur on violence against women and a Council of Europe Special Envoy on gender equality. The promotion of the signature and ratification of the Convention by the broadest number of states and within the shortest delay is a priority so that the Convention can enter into force and have a real impact on the lives of millions of victims. Video interview of Mr Mendes Bota Resolution 1861 (2012)

Strasbourg, 25 January 2012 A new name for the Network: "Parliamentary Network women free from violence" Confirming the Standing Committee's declaration on 25 November 2011 "Freedom from violence should be the first human right", the Network recalled that living without violence should be a right. It thus decided to give itself a new name: "Parliamentary Network women free from violence".

Ms Jacqueline Thibault	Network meeting on 25 January 2012 in Strasbourg Zero tolerance for so-called “honour crimes” “Governments must apply zero tolerance to so-called ‘honour crimes’, which must be punished by exemplary sentences to show total rejection of this practice”, said Jacqueline Thibault, President of the Foundation ‘Surgir’ (Switzerland), speaking at a hearing organised by the PACE network of contact parliamentarians committed to combating violence against women, opened by José Mendes Bota (Portugal, EPP/CD). “Europe is likely to be increasingly confronted with this problem because of migratory movements”, she added, while reviewing the situation in eight European countries, only four of which currently have national plans in operation.
Hannana Siddiqui, Policy and Research Officer at the NGO Southall Black Sisters (United Kingdom), described the situation in the United Kingdom, where, according to police estimates, twelve women and girls are victims of “honour crimes” every year. Rising religious fundamentalism and a growing tendency for minority communities to assert their distinctive identities have increased pressure on women belonging to those communities. Ms Siddiqui also outlined the strategies adopted by the public authorities to combat this threat. Ms Liri Kopaçi-Di Michele, Head of Division in the Council of Europe’s Justice and Human Dignity Directorate, discussed so-called “honour crimes” in the light of the Council of Europe Convention on preventing and combating violence against women and domestic violence (Istanbul Convention). “The drafters of the Convention did not make these acts a separate criminal offence but agreed to prohibit all attempts to justify them on the basis of culture, custom, religion or tradition”, she said. Agenda Video interview of Ms Siddiqui and Ms Thibault

Bratislava, 29 November 2011 Regional Conference on Effective ways to prevent and combat violence against women and domestic violence High-level government representatives, members of national parliaments, professionals dealing with violence against women and domestic violence, representatives of UN Women, the Fundamental Rights Agency and the Gender Equality Institute of the European Union, media and non governmental organisations participated in the Regional Conference on “Effective ways to prevent and combat violence against women and domestic violence” on 29 November in Bratislava. The Conference was organised by the Council of Europe in partnership with the Ministry of Justice of the Slovak Republic and Norway Grants. Among the speakers were Ms Maud de Boer-Buquicchio, Deputy Secretary General of the Council of Europe; Mr Rudolf Chmel, Deputy Prime Minister for Human Rights and National Minorities of the Slovak Republic; Ms Rashida Manjoo, United Nations Special Rapporteur on Violence against Women and Ms Astri Aas-Hansen, State Secretary, the Norwegian Ministry of Justice and the Police. The Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe was represented by Ms Mirjana Ferić-Vac, member of the Committee on Equal Opportunites for Women and Men and of the Network of contact parliamentarians committed to combating violence against women. One of the main objectives of the Conference, besides discussing the challenges and the actions required to prevent violence, protect the victims and prosecute the perpetrators, was to raise awareness on the Convention itself. The role of Parliaments and the contribution of local authorities in combating violence against women and domestic violence were widely discussed. Ms Mirjana Ferić-Vac called on all parliamentarians at the European and national levels to do more to end the accountability failure to women victims of violence by promoting the Convention and working towards its ratification. Welcoming the first ratification of the Convention by Turkey, she stressed that “Every day counts to protect women from violence” and that the Istanbul Convention sent a strong political message to end violence against women, which needed to materalise. Programme of the conference Ms Ferić-Vac’s speech

Strasbourg, 24 November 2011 “Light comes from Turkey in the war on violence against women,” “Light comes from Turkey in the war on violence against women,” said Mr Mendes Bota, Chairperson of the Committee on Equal Opportunities for Women and Men on the wake of the ratification of the Council of Europe Convention on preventing and combating violence against women and domestic violence by the Parliament of Ankara: “the country’s authorities have showed the firmest political will and strong commitment to the cause of eradicating this scourge”. The Turkish government supported the Convention throughout the negotiation and drafting process. Opening the Convention for signature in Istanbul on 11 May this year was among the main achievements of the Turkish chairmanship of the Committee of Ministers. The Parliament’s vote, symbolically cast on the eve of the International day to eliminate violence against women, is another significant step on the way to the entry into force of the Convention. Turkey’s being the first country to ratify the Convention in a record time – six months after signing - further stresses the political importance of this decision. “Promoting the Convention is currently the top priority for the Committee on Equal Opportunities for Women and Men. A number of activities will be carried out over the next year to keep the issue of violence against women in the spotlight and urge all countries within the Council of Europe and beyond to sign and ratify the Istanbul Convention. We hope that a number of countries will follow Turkey’s example in the shortest time possible, as ten ratifications are necessary for its entry into force”, Mr Mendes Bota concluded.

International day for the elimination of violence against women, 25 November 2011 *“We must fight every form of violence against women, even when there is no visible sign”* Strasbourg, 25.11.2011 - “We must fight every form of violence against women, even when there is no visible sign” said Mr Mendes Bota (Portugal, EPP/CD), Chairperson of the Committee on Equal Opportunities for Women and Men. The International day for the elimination of violence against women is a reminder of how widespread violence against women is worldwide. Psychological violence leaves no visible sign, yet its scars last a long time. It is a particularly insidious and disruptive crime, difficult to detect – even by the victim - and difficult to prove. It causes enormous damage and is often the first step towards an escalation of violence. Without exception all victims of physical violence in an intimate relationship have first been victim to psychological violence. The Council of Europe Convention on preventing and combating violence against women and domestic violence, open for signature on 11 May 2011, covers all form of violence, including those which are not foreseen in some legal systems, such as psychological violence, and provides new tools to eradicate this scourge. The Parliamentary Assembly is sparing no effort to promote the Convention and urge all countries, within the Council o Europe and beyond, to sign it and ratify it in the shortest time possible. When the Convention enters into force, a better day will be dawning for millions of victims of all forms of violence. PACE Standing Committee: ‘freedom from violence should be the first human right’ Strasbourg, 25.11.2011 – The Standing Committee of PACE, meeting in Edinburgh on the International Day for the Elimination of Violence against Women, has adopted a declaration that freedom from violence should be the first human right. “Millions of women and girls in the world have this right violated every day as they are specifically targeted in the context of war and conflicts, trafficked for the purposes of prostitution, subjected to forced and child marriages, marital rape, so-called ‘honour’ crimes, sexual violence, and other forms of physical and psychological violence,” the committee said. Full declaration

Ms Elvira Kovács Ms Riitta Myller	Violence against women being discussed in Edinburgh The Standing Committee of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe marked the international day for the elimination of violence against women by adopting two resolutions on violence against women at its meeting on 25 November 2011 in Edinburgh. The Standing Committee adopted a resolution on psychological violence based on the report prepared by Ms Kovács (Serbia, EPP/CD), member of the Network and member of the Committee on Equal Opportunities for Women and Men. A victim of psychological violence herself, Ms Kovács stresses in her findings that psychological violence in the context of intimate relations is a widespread form of violence taking the form of verbal abuse, threats and shaming, affecting women disproportionately. She recommends the introduction of provisions to criminalise psychological violence as a crime in itself and address the existing obstacles to the effective implementation of the relevant law, including a poor understanding of the phenomenon from the part of the law-enforcement officials. Psychological violence is a form of gender-based violence, a discrimination and a denial of equal opportunities: its victims might not have the chance of reconstructing themselves, of finding a job, another partner, another home. Some of them will not even have the chance to survive. European states need to encourage victims to seek help and have to set up a legal framework to sanction psychological violence. Agenda of the meeting Explanatory memorandum and resolution The Standing Committee also adopted a resolution on protection orders for victims of domestic violence based on the report prepared by Ms Riitta Myller (Finland, SOC), member of the Network and member of the Committee on Equal Opportunities for Women and Men. According to Ms Myller, domestic violence is a persistent plight affecting the lives of millions of people, especially women, and that unfortunately, an inadequate legal framework often affects the capacity of Council of Europe member states to effectively respond to the protection needs of the victims and their dependants. Ms Myller therefore recommends Council of Europe member states to strengthen the effectiveness of protection orders available to provide physical safety to victims of domestic violence. Ensuring the effective implementation and enforcement of protection orders is a priority, not only to prevent further harm to the individual victims concerned but also to ensure the credibility and effectiveness of the entire criminal framework on violence against women. Ms Myller highlights in her report that domestic violence is an issue of public interest which requires the State’s action and its political commitment. Explanatory memorandum and resolution

Ms Mirjana Ferić Vac (left) and colleagues in Sarajevo	First Regional Seminar to promote the Convention on preventing and combating violence against women and domestic violence (Sarajevo, 24-25 October 2011) *“Even when happening inside domestic walls, violence against women is not a private matter”* Parliamentarians and members of governments, experts and representatives of the civil society gathered for the 1st Regional Seminar on promoting the Council of Europe Convention on preventing and combating violence against women and domestic violence. The event, hosted by the Agency for Gender Equality of Bosnia and Herzegovina, was organised with the support of UN Women and the Council of Europe. Among the speakers were Dr Safet Halilović, Minister for Human Rights and Refugees of Bosnia and Herzegovina, and Ms Blanka Radosevic Marovic, deputy Minister for Human and Minority Rights of Montenegro. The Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe was represented by Ms Mirjana Ferić-Vac and Ms Ismeta Dervoz. The seminar was an opportunity to take a closer look at the benefits and challenges presented by the Convention. The participants also took stock of the accessions to the Convention in the region. The Parliamentary Assembly was among the initiators of the process leading to the Convention and will have role in monitoring its implementation. However, the top priority at the moment is promoting it. The Convention should be supported, signed and ratified, Ms Ferić-Vac underlined, because “violence against women, even when happening inside domestic walls, is not a private matter, but one which engages the public interest”. There are good prospects that countries from the region will be able to sign and ratify the Convention soon. The legal framework, following recent reforms, only requires partial adjustments. The first country to ratify the Convention could be one from the Balkans and the Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia and Montenegro have already signed it. Programme of the seminar Ms Ferić-Vac’s speech

Ms Alexis Bowater Network for Surviving Stalking	Network meeting on 6 October 2011 in Strasbourg Stalking is “murder in slow motion” Alexis Bowater, Chief Executive of the Network for Surviving Stalking in the United Kingdom came to Strasbourg in October to take part in an exchange of views with the members of the network. Considering “stalking the new battlefront”, Ms Bowater said that physical violence occurs in one in five stalking cases. 10% of women have been stalked at some point in their life and 2% in the last year in the United Kingdom. “Stalking is a crime which starts with small incremental steps and destroys lives. It is the repeated intrusion of one person into the life of another in a manner which causes anxiety, fear and distress. It steals lives….”. Ms Bowater stressed that stalking can create deep psychological trauma and long-term harm to the victim, break up peoples’ lives and their ability to cope and lead to serious assault, rape and murder. Ms Bowater’s presentation

Stalking in the Council of Europe Convention on preventing and combating violence against women and domestic violence Johanna Nelles, representing the Justice and Human Dignity Directorate of the Council of Europe, explained to the members of the Network how stalking is covered in the Convention. The Convention makes it clear that stalking is a form of violence in its Article 34: - national legislation must be equipped to deal with talking – using gender-neutral language - the Convention introduces restraining or protection orders for victims of stalking - the Convention requires state parties to set up support services for victims of any type of violence covered by the Convention. Ms Nelles’ presentation Video interview of Ms Bowater and Ms Nelles

Opinion on the draft Convention on preventing and combating violence against women and domestic violence At its meeting of 17 February 2011 the Committee on Equal Opportunities for Women and Men unanimously adopted an opinion on the draft Convention on preventing and combating violence against women and domestic violence. The opinion drafted by the Committee’s Chairperson and Rapporteur, Mr Mendes Bota, is the result of a long-term engagement and reflection by the Committee on the issue of violence against women, of Mr Mendes Bota’s participation in the 9 meetings of the Ad hoc committee of negotiators (CAHVIO) as well as of a wide and inclusive consultation process with representatives of civil society and non-governmental organisations. The Committee welcomes the draft Convention as the first international binding instrument specifically devoted to this issue and based on the “4 Ps”: Prevention of violence, Protection of victims, Prosecution of perpetrators but integrated Policies against violence. The opinion includes several proposals of amendments aimed at enhancing the standards of protection for all women who are victims of gender-based violence. It was debated at the Standing Committee meeting on 11 March 2011 in Paris. Text of the opinion

Parliamentary Network women free from violence