Report on the Annual Gathering of the Group of Women Parliamentarians
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Preventing Violence Against Women
The delegates reaffirmed their commitment to monitoring the effectiveness of legislation and policies on violence against women, and expressed particular interest in addressing political harassment in each of their countries. They agreed to actively promote cooperation among fellow legislators, police forces, judicial powers, and civil society groups working at the grassroots level. They stressed their belief in the importance of early interventions to foster respect, conflict resolution, and nonviolence within households, primary schools, and in all relationships – including in adolescence. Education must be targeted to boys and men as well as girls and women.
In terms of action at the individual level, participants committed to
disseminating information about existing laws and services to empower women, especially those at risk of experiencing violence. This would include promoting safe, anonymous reporting options, women’s shelters in both urban and rural areas, the review of overly bureaucratic procedures, and support for forensic medical examinations and psychological services for survivors and offenders. They were also committed to engaging the media and supporting creative public awareness campaigns to prevent violence, especially those that aim to redefine masculinity.
At the Group level, delegates noted the importance of ensuring that violence is not reproduced within their parliaments. They recommended the development of a virtual platform to compile legal texts and other resources regarding successful practices for preventing and sanctioning violence against women in member countries. Through this platform they