EWL and RWL supported the march “Together for women’s safety” in Romania

Published onOctober 9, 2017

[Bucharest, 14 October 2017] The European Women’s Lobby (EWL) and the Romanian Women’s Lobby (RWL) have supported and called everybody to join the march to condemn all forms of violence against women “Together for women’s safety” that will take place in Bucharest this Saturday 14 of October.

EWL staff and Youth delegation support March to end VAWG in Romania 14O

The march was organised by the Romanian Network for Prevention and Combating Violence Against Women :a Romanian group of non-governmental organisations active in the field, with 25 members located in all over the country.

Together for women’s safety March, Bucharest 2017 – Picture by Rucsandra Niţu‎

Find more pictures on the Facebook event of the March: https://www.facebook.com/events/495957484112761/ Read the demands of the “Together for women’s safety” March here and below in this article. Engage via social media using the hashtags: #STOPVIF , #NuEstiSingura and #14O. You can still send a support video, a photo or a written message where you condemn violence against women. You can post your message by using the hashtag #STOPVIF or on the Facebook event page – Împreună pentru siguranța femeilor!

ORIGINAL CALL: We march together to demand safety for women! (Bucharest, Romania)

Saturday, 14th of October, starting with 3 p.m. we invite you to join the March “Together for women’s safety”. We will march to condemn all forms of violence against women. We want all women and girls to be safe at home, in the streets, at their workplace, in schools and universities. We will start the march in University Square (Colțea Park) and we will finish it in Victory Square (Antipa Museum). SAFETY IS A BASIC RIGHT. FEELING SAFE IS VITAL FOR WOMEN’S AND GIRLS’ LIVES. Organiser: The Romanian Network for Prevention and Combating Violence against Women

Romanian march 2017

WHY DO WE MARCH?

Because every day we witness various forms of aggression towards women, aggression that is not sanctioned, either by the community or by the Romanian government. Women are prisoners of a culture of violence in which the victims are systematically discredited, blamed and stigmatized.
Because 1 in 4 Romanian women was physically or sexually aggressed by her partner (FRA, 2014);
Because 25% of the killings are being perpetuated at home (Public Ministry data, 2015)
Because 90% of the victims that ask for a protection order are women;
Because there is no ‘emergency protection order’ that could be issued by the police right after the violent act, to ensure the immediate safety of the victims;
Because there are only 34 penal condemnations out of 18.683 violence acts registered in 2016;
Because every action of condemning violence against women brings us closer to a world in which women live in safety;
Because sexism, racism, classism, homophobia are still obstacles faced by women when they want to report being aggressed and abused;
Because we want to show our solidarity with all women who were abused or are forced to live in violence;
Because we care. If we stay silent it only helps the abusers;
Because we want to publicly denounce violence against women and to condemn the behavior of the aggressors.

WHAT DO WE MARCH FOR? We want to condemn the aggressive behavior of those men who believe that they have the right to threaten and hurt their partner or former partner, to commit rape when they do not receive consent for sexual intercourse, to catcall women on the street or in public transportation or to sexually harass their students or work colleagues. We want to draw attention to the obstacles faced by different social categories of women whose identities are at the intersection of gender and other social dimensions: low-income women with or without employment, women with disability, Roma women or other ethnic or religious minority, immigrant women, LGBT+, sex workers. We also know that many middle-or high-income women, who are not part of vulnerable groups, face social pressure to hide the acts of aggression for fear of being judged. WHAT DO WE REQUEST FROM THE STATE? – To urgently modify the legislation so the Police can be able to issue a provisory protection order immediately after ascertaining the act of violence, to ensure a real and fast protection for women; – To urgently modify the Penal Code so that the investigation continues even if the victim withdraws the complaint; – Ex officio appeal for violent acts that require a reasonable number of days of medical care and not 90 days of medical care as it is currently specified by the law; – Trained staff in dealing with cases of violence against women, taking into account the risk of re-traumatization of the victim; – Rape-crisis centers, with specialized staff, trained to act in the victim’s interest, by means of psychological and legal counseling; – Ex officio appeal in cases of sexual acts involving minors; – A good institutional collaboration whenever cases of aggression, rape, sexual harassment, sexual exploitation are under investigation. The Police, Justice and Medical systems must provide a real support for violence survivors. Institutional representatives must treat victims with dignity and professionalism to encourage them to report the aggression. – To send a “zero-tolerance” signal for violence against women and include in the school curricula notions about gender equality and the prevention of violence towards women and girls. – To implement the legal frame in order to stop the broadcasting of media productions that degrade women, promote a culture of violence and turn violence into entertainment. HOW CAN YOU GET INVOLVED?

Promote the march and encourage other people to join us.
March with us in condemnation of all forms of violence against women.
Bring banners with slogans against violence.
Send a video, a photo or a written message where you condemn violence against women. We kindly invite you to post your message by using the hashtag #STOPVIF or on the Facebook event page – Împreună pentru siguranța femeilor!

Change starts with each one of us. We march in solidarity with women survivors of violence.

EWL staff and Youth delegation support March to end VAWG in Romania 14O

Reports

CEEBBS Report

WEBINAR: Towards a Safer Digital Space for Women and Girls Combatting Cyber Violence

EWL Contribution to the EU Civil Society Strategy

ORIGINAL CALL: We march together to demand safety for women! (Bucharest, Romania)

Share article