Recommendation 1861 (2009)

Feminicides

Author(s): Parliamentary Assembly

Origin - Assembly debate on 30 January 2009 (9th Sitting) (see Doc. 11781, report of the Committee on Equal Opportunities for Women and Men, rapporteur: Mrs Err). Text adopted by the Assembly on 30 January 2009 (9th Sitting).

1. The Parliamentary Assembly refers to its Resolution 1654 (2009) on the same subject.

2. The Council of Europe, the guarantor of human rights in Europe, has an important role to play in combating violence against women, including domestic violence, not only in Europe but also worldwide, in view of the serious violations of human rights that occur in the form of feminicides and violence against women. This role is even more valid for observer states.

3. The Assembly was disappointed by the reply from the Committee of Ministers to its Recommendation 1709 (2005) on the disappearance and murder of a great number of women and girls in Mexico.

4. The Assembly points out that the Parliament of Mexico played an active part in the implementation of the parliamentary dimension of the Council of Europe Campaign “Stop domestic violence against women”.

5. The Assembly remains convinced that the Committee of Ministers should take specific measures within the framework of its co-operation and assistance programme to encourage reform of the courts and the prosecution system and to promote equality between women and men, especially efforts to combat violence against women in Mexico.

6. In this context, the Assembly suggests that Mexico be invited to participate in the drafting of the Council of Europe convention on combating violence against women advocated in Recommendation 1847 (2008) on combating violence against women: towards a Council of Europe convention, to make sure they are educated and to regard them as human assets rather than burdens.

7. The Assembly also recommends that the Committee of Ministers ask a group of experts or an observatory of the Council of Europe to gather specific data on cases of violence against women, in particular feminicides in Europe, with a view to analysing any shortcomings in the protection of women so as to improve preventive measures and develop new ones, and also to conduct a study of both the sociological and the legal aspects of feminicides.