OBR 2019: Rising in solidarity to end violence against women

Published onFebruary 18, 2019

[Brussels, 18 February 2019] Last week, as part of One Billion Rising’s Global campaign, the European Women’s Lobby rose in solidarity to end violence against women and girls.

Loud United OBR 2019

In Europe, 1 in 3 women has experienced physical and/or sexual violence since the age of 15 and 50 women die every week from male domestic violence. We say #LoudUnited, as a society we cannot accept this. The Council of Europe Convention on preventing and combating violence against women and domestic violence, the Istanbul Convention emphasises and recognises that violence against women is a human rights violation, a form of discrimination and a cause of consequence of inequality between women and men. Today we RISE, RESIST & UNITE with V-Day #RISE2019 #INeedtheIstanbulConvention #OneBillionRising Find here a video explaining Why We need the Istanbul Convention! We need a long lasting change to turn revolution into a reality for women and girls in Europe to live a life free from male violence.

Why we need the Istanbul convention

CYPRUS For the 7th consecutive year, the Cyprus Women’s Lobby organised a protest in #Nicosia to combat violence against women, by participating in V-Day’s 1 Billion Rising Revolution 2019. This year, our members are rising up and protesting against violence against women by spouses and partners. Women’s rights activists can no longer ignore the trauma inflicted upon women subjected to violence, and instead support them in every way they can. In this, the state must also step up and fulfil its obligation to keep every woman victim of abuse safe from further harm. One in three women around the world, including Cyprus, will face violence in her life, physical, psychological or sexual. According to a survey by the European Union Agency for Fundamental Rights (2014), which was conducted across all 28 EU Member States, one in five women above the age of 15 has experienced physical or sexual violence from a partner or a former partner. In the last 15 years in Cyprus, there have been over 30 murders of women by partners or ex-partners. According to data from the Association for the Prevention and Tackle of Violence in the Family (SPAVO), 89% of domestic violence incidents during 2017 involved women. The 1440 victim support line for the year 2018 received a total of 14,404 calls, the number being a significant increase from 2017, during which year 12,833 calls were received. The Cyprus Women’s Lobby calls on solidarity to act, not for one day only, but every day and turn the revolution into a way of life. LITHUANIA Women’s rights activitsts also held an action in Vilinus, Lithuania, with European Women’s Lobby members involved. Find the pictures here.

Reports

CEEBBS Report

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

EWL Contribution to the EU Civil Society Strategy

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