EWL at the Maltese Presidency EU event on violence against women

February 3, 2017

[Brussels, 3 February 2017] The European Women’s Lobby (EWL) and members of the European Coalition to end violence against women and girls were present at the EU Conference organised by the Maltese Presidency on “EU responses to Gender Based violence: an inter sectional approach”. This event is one of the actions of the European Commission year of focused action to combat violence against women and girls. At this event, the EWL shared our strong demands and conclusions coming from the women’s organisations. Laura Albu, EWL Executive Committee member, and Elina Nikulainen, Finnish expert at the EWL Observatory on violence against women attended the Conference.

Laura Albu and Elina Nikulainen

In her speech, Laura Albu highlighted how, despite all the data and evidence that exists on the huge prevalence of violence against women across Europe, still there are not adequate measures and women are not equally protected across the EU. On the contrary, violence against women is still shrouded in silence and trivialised. Laura Albu stressed that an intersectional perspective is fundamental to understand how certain women face greater risk of violence and to adequately design and implement protection and prevention measures for all women and girls. Finally, the EWL insisted on the need to shift the blame and will call on the responsibility of the States to take action to put and end to all forms of violence against women and girls. In this regard, Laura Albu, stressed the importance of the ratification and adequate implementation of the Istanbul Convention by the EU and all the Member States. Read here the speaking notes of Laura Albu. We trust that this conference will be a milestone in the European HERstory to end violence against women. Women, in all their diversity, want to live a life free from violence and fear. It is their right! In this regard, the EWL welcomes the Malta Joint Statement calling the Member States to at the European Council to conclude and finalise the decision on the EU accession to the Istanbul Convention with a meaningful scope. Many members of the European Coalition to end Violence against women and girls were also present at the Conference calling EU decision makers to take action to ensure that the ratification of the Istanbul Convention by the EU is done within the broadest scope of EU competence as possible.

European Coalition to end VAWG action at the Maltese Conference

Find here other interventions at the Conference below: • Opening speech of Ms Vera Jourova, European Commissioner for Justice, Consumers and Gender Equality • Article of MEP Corazza Bildt (Sweden, EPP) • Article of MEP Christine Revault D’Allonnes Bonnefoy (France, S&D) You can follow the discussions and see oue EWL social media action in Twitter: @Europeanwomen #SayNoStopVAW #herfuture.