Tackling the roots of gender-based violence

[Celerity]

A new declaration based on the Istanbul convention carries forward the struggle against a pervasive social phenomenon.

https://socialeurope.eu/tackling-the-roots-of-gender-based-violence


Changing times: Roddy Doyle’s 1994 TV series Family, portraying a Dublin working-class mother trying to free herself and her children from her violent partner, led to death threats against the writer (RTE)

Last week, a significant step in strengthening strategies across Europe to tackle domestic violence was taken in Dublin, when 38 out of the 46 members of the Council of Europe adopted a joint declaration. This aims to tackle the cultural norms which perpetuate the crime and pledges a series of steps to promote the gender equality which can help prevent domestic, sexual and gender-based violence. This ‘Dublin declaration’ will strengthen the action being taken by member states to secure implementation of the Council of Europe’s landmark 2011 Istanbul convention, on preventing and combating violence against women and domestic violence.

In particular, the declaration requires signatory states to ensure that children’s voices are heard in child-custody disputes where domestic violence is a factor. There are commitments to include specific roles for men and boys in strategies to combat violence against women and girls. At all levels in school and college curricula, non-stereotypical role models and non-violent conflict resolution are to be promoted, as well as in-service training for those working in criminal justice, to challenge biases which could impede effective protection of victims.

‘Significant and important’

In an Irish context, the Women’s Aid organisation in Dublin, which has been campaigning to combat domestic violence nationally for many decades, described the declaration as a ‘significant and important’ step for women and children across Europe. The National Women’s Council in Ireland also strongly welcomed the declaration, pointing out that it ‘takes a long-term approach to preventing domestic violence [and] targets the need for cultural change across institutions and society which is badly needed to address the causes of domestic and gender-based violence’.

The focus in the declaration on victim-centred approaches—notably in ensuring victims’ safety and support and full respect for their human rights—has also been widely welcomed by victims’ and survivors’ groups in Ireland. Indeed, adoption of the declaration comes three months after the justice minister, Helen McEntee, published the third Irish national strategy on domestic, sexual and gender-based violence, and it aligns with commitments made when Ireland ratified the Istanbul convention in March 2019.

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[niyad]

1. Thank you so much for sharing this amazing, and encouraging,

information. It is good to see official bodies beginning to take domestic violence seriously.