The United Nations General Assembly has designated 25 November as the World Day for the Elimination of Violence against Women. The aim of this global day is to raise awareness of the fact that women and girls around the world are subjected to rape, domestic violence and other forms of violence. Furthermore, one of the objectives of this day is to highlight that the extent of this phenomenon and the reality is often hidden.
According to statistics, women and girls make up the highest percentage of victims in all forms of violence. Moreover, since the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic, data and reports from those on the frontline have shown that all forms of violence against women and girls, particularly domestic violence, have intensified.
From 25 November to 10 December, Human Rights Day, awareness and information campaigns are organised every year, indicating that violence against women is the most widespread violation of human rights. The slogan "UNITE! Activism to end violence against women and girls" for the year 2022 stresses that everyone should work together, united and collectively to end violence against women and girls.
Violence against women and girls, in all its forms, is at the centre of gender discrimination and inequalities and a pattern that reproduces the power relationship between men and women, says Gender Equality Commissioner Ms Josephine Antoniou in her message on the occasion of today's World Day. Physical violence, sexual abuse/harassment, sexist attitudes, psychological and economic violence, with femicide being the most extreme form of violence. It is a symptom of a society that keeps women, half of the world's population, in a state of subordination, discrimination and marginalisation. It is a global phenomenon that knows no borders, which is multidimensional and, we would say, highly complex, and which, even in the year 2022, constitutes one of the most flagrant violations of human rights against women. Women experience all forms of violence disproportionately to men, which is why we talk about "gender-based violence".
In Cyprus, significant steps have been taken on the issues of violence against women, the most important being the signing and ratification of the Council of Europe Convention on preventing, combating and eradicating all forms of violence against women. This Convention, also known as the Istanbul Convention, is considered to be the first legally binding instrument internationally, which creates a comprehensive legal framework to prevent all forms of violence against women, protect victims of gender and domestic violence and end impunity for perpetrators. It places the issue of violence against women as a consequence of gender inequalities and the lack of respect for the human rights and dignity of women.
Aiming at the full harmonization of Cyprus with the provisions of the Convention, among other things, several Bills and Proposals for Laws were passed by the House of Representatives which filled several gaps in our national legislative framework. Indicatively, we mention the Law on the Prevention and Combating of Violence against Women and Domestic Violence, to which femicide was added as a specific crime, the Law on Harassment and Harassment Surveillance as well as the Law on Combating Sexism and Online Sexism.
No policy, legislative and/or administrative effort alone can eliminate all the inequalities and discrimination suffered by women. The necessity of strengthening programmes and actions on the part of the state with deep and substantial cuts aimed at deconstructing such phenomena, cultivating a culture of equality and full respect for human rights is highlighted.
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