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Brussels 19 April 2006: MEPs raise awareness of feminicide
How to put an end to the extremely violent killings, or "feminicide", of women in Mexico and Guatemala and the wide impunity related to them was the issue at stake in a public hearing organised jointly Wednesday 19 April by the European Parliament's committee on Women's Rights and Gender Equality and subcommittee on Human Rights. Speakers recognised that feminicide is a matter of world-wide concern that can not be viewed in isolation.
he hearing was an opportunity for MEPs to debate the issue with representatives from Mexico and Guatemala, the United Nations, the Council of Europe and the Commission for Defence and Promotion of Human Rights.
Since 1993, more than 400 women have been violently killed and there have been over 4,000 registered complaints of women having disappeared in the cities of Ciudad Juárez and Chihuahua in northern Mexico. Brutal murders of women also occur in other parts of Mexico. In Guatemala precise numbers are unknown and disputed. According to the Committee on Feminicide in Guatemala there has been a steady increase in the number of women murdered, with 303 in 2001 to 665 in 2005.
Women killed simply for being women
Alexandra Dobolyi (PES , HU) said the aim of the hearing was to raise awareness, and to change attitudes considering such violence acceptable. Eva-Britt Svensson (GUE/NGL, SE) said that the situation is very bad: "Feminicide demonstrates that women are killed simply for being women". Raül Romeva i Rueda (Greens/EFA, ES), called for visibility of feminicide, that affects "us all around the world", as "the worst enemy is silence". María Elena Valenciano (PES, ES) stressed the importance "to reformulate violence against women in political terms... and to talk about this subject on the highest level". José Salafranca (EPP-ED, ES) and Eva Lichtenberger (Greens/EFA, AT) endorsed the need to tackle violence against women in all countries.
Ineffective state responses and impunity are common traits of feminicide in Guatemala and Mexico, the hearing was told. Authorities fail to investigate crimes adequately and the root causes of the violence against women are not studied. Impunity is leading to loss of confidence in the judicial system. Perpetrators are not brought to justice whereas victims are treated as delinquents. "It is fundamental to recognise that violence against women is a breach of human rights and not only a social problem", explained Maria Gabriela Núnez Pérez, President of the Special Commission for the Investigation of Feminicide in Guatemala. Maria Guadalupe Morfin Olero, Federal Commissioner for Prevention and Eradication of Violence on Women in Ciudad Juarés, Chihuahua, said "without hope you cannot plant olive trees", acknowledging that the fight against feminicide will take a long time. In this fight it is essential to address the structural causes of violence against women, adopt a decentralised approach, give support to victims and strengthen the society.
What can the EU do? The European Commission representative explained that the Commission is engaged in dialogue with Mexico and Guatemala. DAPHNE , the EU programme to combat violence against children, young people and women, could be shared as a good example. Regarding the democracy clause, Maria del Mar Monroy Garcia (Mexican Commission for Defence and Promotion of Human Rights) said human rights should always be at top of bilateral contacts.
Programme:
http://www.europarl.europa.eu/hearings/20060419/femm/programme_en.pdf
For press enquiries please contact European Parliament Press Service
Lena Kraft +32 2 28 32 590
e-mail: femm-press@europarl.eu.int
Brussels 25 April 2006: Roma women in the EU
Roma women are among the most threatened groups and individuals in the EU - particularly in the ten new Member States - and accession and candidate countries, according to the Women's Rights Committee. In a report adopted on Tuesday, the committee calls for measures to combat the extreme levels of multiple discrimination faced by these women on the grounds of both ethnicity and gender.
The report, drafted by Lívia Járóka (EPP-ED, HU), urges EU public authorities to "promptly investigate extreme human rights abuses against Roma women, to swiftly punish perpetrators, and to provide adequate compensation to victims". The committee calls on Member States to give the highest priority to measures to provide better protection for women's reproductive and sexual health, to prevent and outlaw coercive sterilisation, and provide redress for such abuse, and to promote family planning, alternative arrangements to early marriages, and sex education. It also calls for proactive measures to eliminate racially segregated maternity wards, to help victims of domestic violence and for particular vigilance regarding the trafficking of Roma women.
A number of other areas of concern are raised in the report. It urges Member States to ensure that all Roma women have access to health care, and not only, as often occurs, in the case of an extreme emergency or childbirth. Surveys show that the life expectancy of Roma women is, in some areas, shorter than that of others. Many Roma girls fail to complete primary education. Lívia Járóka says that since education "is one of the most important tools for escaping poverty, the dual discrimination faced by Romani women in the field of education means that they will have a particularly difficult time escaping poverty". The committee calls for measures at national level to ensure that women and girls have access on equal terms to quality education and for plans to end the separate, substandard education of Roma children. A further burning issue, calling for positive measures, is the very high unemployment rates among Roma women - in several places, many times higher than that of the rest of the adult female population. MEPs also urge the Member States to improve Roma housing by recognising in national law a right to adequate housing.
The situation of Roma women in candidate countries should, according to the committee, be a key criterion for evaluation states of readiness for accession to the EU. MEPs recommend that the future EU Institute for Gender Equality should have a unit dealing with Roma women in the EU and they encourage the gathering and publication of data set out by sex and ethnicity, on the situation of the Roma people, so progress can be measured.
French version will soon be available on:
http://www.europarl.europa.eu/news/expert/infopress_page/014-7554-115-04-17-902-20060424IPR07541-25-04-2006-2006-false/default_fr.htm
The report will soon be available on:
http://www.europarl.europa.eu/oeil/file.jsp?id=5270922"http://www.europarl.europa.eu/oeil/file.jsp?id=5270922
25/04/2006
Committee on Women's Rights and Gender Equality
Chair : Anna ZÁBORSKÁ (EPP-ED, SK)
Procedure: Own-initiative
Plenary Debate: May II, Brussels
Strasbourg 15 March 2006: Initiatives to end sex trafficking
MEPs reaffirm their firm condemnation of trafficking in human beings, in particular of women and children for sexual purposes. In a resolution adopted today, following up last week's EP seminar on forced prostitution during sports events, MEPs propose strategies to combat this ghastly problem. The European Parliament calls for a European wide campaign to inform the general public and to reduce the demand. MEPs also propose an Anti-Trafficking Day to raise awareness on the issue of trafficking in all its aspects.
The European Parliament urges the European Commission and the Member States to launch a European-wide campaign to inform and educate the general public and particularly sports people, sports fans and supporters about the growing problem of forced prostitution during big sports events. The campaign should provide the necessary information, counselling, safe housing and legal aid to women and children and other victims forced into prostitution. MEPs agree that media and famous people from the sports world also have to be involved in the awareness raising campaign to positively influence the changes in public mentality and behaviour. They also appeal for a prevention campaign targeted at potential victims providing them with information as to their rights and where they can obtain assistance in countries of destination.
In light of the forthcoming World Football Cup, MEPs call on Member States to set up a multilingual telephone hotline and visible communication campaign to help women forced into prostitution and other victims who are isolated and unable to speak the language of the country of transit or destination. They also urge the International Olympic Committee, FIFA, UEFA, the German Football Association and others as well as sportsmen to express support for the campaign launched by the German National Council of Women.
MEPs request the launch of an Anti-Trafficking Day starting from this year. Its aim would be to raise awareness on the issue of trafficking in all its aspects. They urge all Member States to ratify the Council of Europe Convention on Action against Trafficking in Human beings which sets out minimum standards for the protection of the victims of trafficking in human beings for the purposes of sexual exploitation. The European Parliament also calls on the Member States which have not respected the deadline of 1 August 2004 for the implementation of Council Framework Decision 2002/629/JHA on combating trafficking in human beings to take immediate action. Furthermore, MEPs urge the Commission and the Council to urgently produce the assessment report as foreseen by the Framework Decision.
Resolution will soon be available on:
http://www.europarl.eu.int/activities/expert.do?language=EN#
More information about the 8 March seminar:
http://www.europarl.eu.int/comparl/femm/womensday/2006/default_en.htm
For press enquiries please contact European Parliament Press Service
Martina IOVCHEVA +32 2 28 40764
or Lena KRAFT +32 2 28 32 590
e-mail: femm-press@europarl.eu.int
EWL CALLS FOR A EU LEGAL FRAMEWORK TO COMBAT VIOLENCE AGAINST WOMEN: On the International Day on Violence against Women (25 November), the European Women’s Lobby (EWL) calls on the EU European Union, to produce without delay a proposal for a legal framework on violence against women, so that a EU wide binding Directive on tackling all forms of violence against women may be drafted and implemented with urgency.
See Press Release to download at end of this page
Report des Hamburgisches Welt-Wirtschafts-Archiv (HWWA)
"EU-Enlargement, Migration and Trafficking in Women: - The Case of South Eastern Europe"
Tanja El-Cherkeh, Elena Stirbu, Sebastian Lazaroiu, Dragos Radu
Hamburg Institute of International Economics 2004, ISSN 0179-2253.
Download free of charge
In its 30th Session in January 2004 the CEDAW Committee will examine the following two reports.
- Report of Germany
- Shadow report of the NGOs
In its 31th Session the Report of Spain will be on the agenda:
- Report of Spain
Following the meeting of the Committee on Women's Rights and Equal Opportunities of the European Parliament I would like to inform you of the reports adopted.
-The most important report by Christa Prets (PES,A) on the proposal for a Council directive implementing the principle of equal treatment between women and men in the access to and supply of goods and services ( or directive on discrimination outside the workplace) has been adopted. A press release on the subject will be available on the website of the EP this afternoon in English (see link below). After the vote in plenary session, that will take place during the Mars II session (29.03-1.04.2004) a longer press release will be send to you. http://www.europarl.eu.int/press/index_en.htm
- The report by Rodi KRATSA (EPP,GR) on the action programme to promote organisations at European level in the field of equality between women and men has been adopted and will be voted during the plenary session March II , 29.03-1.04.2004 (a press release on the subject will be available after the vote in plenary session)
- The report by Olga ZRIHEN (PES,B) on development co-operation: promoting gender equality has been adopted (see the attachment for a press release on the subject) The debate and vote will take place during the pleanry session in March II (29.03-1.04.2004)
-The own initiative report by Marianne ERIKSSON (GUE, SV) on the impact of sex industry in the EU has been postponed and will be discussed during a special meeting of the Committee on Women's Rights on the 30th March ( I will keep you informed)
-The own initiative report by Anna Karamanou (PES,GR) on Women's in south-eastern Europe has been adopted and will be voted during the plenary session in April I (If you need a copy of the report I can send it to you)
For further information: Katarzyna Prandota tel.: 00322 28 31 0 51 E-mail: femm-press@europarl.eu.int
Chères lectrices, chers lecteurs,
Suite à la réunion de la Commission des Droits de la Femme et de l'égalité des chances du Parlement européen je me permets de vous informer brièvement sur les rapports qui ont été adoptées.
- Le plus important rapport est celui de Mme Christa Prets (PSE,A) sur l'Égalité homme-femme, discrimination sur le sexe: accès aux biens et services et fourniture de biens et services. Ce projet de nouvelle directive contre la discrimination en dehors du lieu de travail a été approuvé par la
Commission des Droits des femmes et le texte sera voté durant la session plénière de mars II ( 29.03-1.04). Ci joint veuillez trouver un communiqué de presse bref à ce sujet, une analyse plus exhaustive sera disponible après le vote en plénière.
- Le rapport de Mme Rodi KRATSA (PPE, GR) sur l' Égalité entre les femmes et les hommes: soutien aux organisations actives au niveau européen a été adopté et un communiqué de presse a ce sujet sera publié après le vote en plénière (session mars II 29.03-1.04.2004)
- La recommandation de Mme Olga ZRIHEN ZAARI (PSE,B) sur la coopération au développement: promotion de l'égalité des sexes a été adopté. Ci joint veuillez trouvez un communiqué de presse bref à ce sujet. Le vote en plénière est prévu pour la session de mars II 29.03-1.04.2004)
- Le rapport d'initiative de Mme Anna KARAMANOU (PSE,GR) sur Les femmes dans le sud-est de l'Europe a été adopté (au besoin je vous enverrai une copie de ce rapport). Il sera voté en plénière en avril I Le rapport d'initiative de Mme Marianne ERIKSSON (GUE/NGL, SV) sur L'impact de l'industrie du sexe dans l'Union européenne a été reporté à une session extraordinaire de la Commission des Droits de la femme, qui aura lieu le 30 mars ( je vous tiendrai au courant)
Pour plus d'information: Katarzyna Prandota tel.: 00322 28 31 0 51 E-mail: femm-press@europarl.eu.int
Report Expert Meeting on Article 4 CEDAW Convention:
From 10-12 October 2003 an international expert meeting was held in Valkenburg on article 4 of the CEDAW Convention, which was organised by the Universities of Maastricht, Leiden and Utrecht (SIM).
- The report
- Further information
Latest NCEO meeting organised by the Italian Senate in Rome, documents available here
Law firm faces record payout for sex bias/glass ceiling
According to The Independent (U.K.), a leading City law firm is facing a record £6.85m sex discrimination claim after a tribunal ruled that it had blocked the careers of two women solicitors.
EP Report:
Report on the proposal for a European Parliament and Council regulation on promoting gender equality in development co-operation (Enhanced cooperation between committees - Rule 162a) -
Committee on Women's Rights and Equal Opportunities
Report A5-0447/2003 12/12/2003
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