President of Cyprus’ House of Representatives Annita Demetriou outlined the causes and policies to tackle gender-based violence, addressing an event entitled “Increase in Violence against Women, Causes and Policies to Address it”, which was held in Athens on Monday.
The event was organised on the occasion of the International Day for the Elimination of Violence against Women by MEP and Vice-Chair of the Committee on Women’s Rights and Gender Equality of the European Parliament, Eliza Vozemberg.
During her speech, Demetriou noted that gender-based violence is on the rise in modern societies. As she said, this form of violence is “blatantly damaging the dignity of women and young girls, violating the human rights of the victim, depriving them of the equal enjoyment of their rights, constantly widening the gap of inequalities and tearing apart the social fabric.”
“Every femicide, every crime and every act of violence, regardless of the gravity of the crime, with a man as the perpetrator and a woman or a young girl as the victim, is nothing but a heinous act against a wife, a daughter, a friend, a partner, a sister,” she said.
“The state has an obligation, an institutional duty on the basis of the constitutionally enshrined principle of equality, now more than ever, to design and establish ways to support women and girl victims,” President of the House of Representatives stressed.
As regards policy making to prevent and combat gender-based violence, Demetriou noted the importance of cultural change and the reversal of gender stereotypes. She also stressed the necessity of integrating the gender dimension in state budgets and in the legal and executive acts of each state.
“As regards the Cypriot legal order, I have already submitted a legislative proposal, which proposes a constitutional amendment, which would require the three authorities to apply the constitutional provisions on fundamental rights and freedoms in a way that would incorporate the gender dimension in their actions as a consequence of the constitutional principle of equality, but also as an international obligation under the 1979 United Nations Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women (CEDAW),” Demetriou said.
She also welcomed the European Parliament’s directive on the representation of women on the boards of directors of listed companies.
“Violence against women and young girls under the age of eighteen is not just another social phenomenon,” she noted.
“It is a blatant violation of the human rights of the female victim, not only by the perpetrator but also by the state as an entity when it watches without reacting and taking action,” she concluded.
Source: Cyprus News Agency