What Are Governments Doing to Prevent Domestic Violence? – Council of Europe Paves the Way

They have adoptive standards. But the real problem is that it’s not enough.

Thomas Hammarberg
- Council of Europe -

However, not all cities in Europe have such shelters. I have talked with politicians in power who have argued that “in our country there is no need”. In fact, I have had some clearly negative experiences in talks with leading government representatives in recent times. Not only have they been dismissive about the problem as such; they have volunteered chauvinistic jokes which should belong to the past. This has to change – and it will.

Putting an end to domestic violence is of course very much a question of political will. What should be done in every country is really no secret. There should be a precise and strict legislation; there should be bye-laws or guidelines to enforce the law; there should be a thought-out strategy and an action plan covering both national and local levels; there should be a system for the support services which are aimed at prevention, protection, prosecution but also rehabilitation and rebuilding lives.

Much has been done to implement these obligations, but much remains to be done. Most governments have now picked up the principles, but some are far behind in implementation. These are some of the points which need to be stressed again:

· The

legal framework

is important and must provide for a wide definition of violence against women, including psychological forms. It must cover preventive and educational measures, as well as protection and assistance for victims and measures against perpetrators.· A good law is the result of a broad

consultative process

involving women’s groups and experts, including victims, and taking into account the opinions of the civil society.· The laws must be effectively

enforced

. Detailed guidelines or protocols to establish clear standards, for example for the police to follow when dealing with violence against women, are necessary.· Education of police, social workers, health workers, teachers and the judiciary must include

training

on how to recognize and deal with violence against women. It is crucial that the response to such abuses is professional and gender sensitive. The rights of the victims to privacy, dignity and full autonomy should be met at all stages and by all authorities.· The governments should support the civil society groups, but they must themselves take responsibility as well for informing the public about this plague. Creating genuine

awareness

in this field is essential.

Special attention should be given to those most at risk. A sensitive analysis would, for instance, detect the particular vulnerability of migrant women. A migrant woman who is subjected to domestic violence is unlikely to report to the police for fear of losing her residence status, if it is dependant on her husband’s status. Some countries have addressed this concern by allowing victims of domestic violence to apply for permanent residence status irrespective of their spouses support for the application. This is a responsible approach.

Sensitivity to the needs of the victims also calls for comprehensive and accessible services. The victim must be able to overcome all the various difficulties and consequences that violence has caused. Support services must take into account and respond to both immediate and long term needs of the victim.

· Health clinics are often first among services to come into contact with the victims of violence. It is important that

health personnel

are well trained, gender sensitive and have clear referral systems in place to link to other support sectors. Health care providers must be able to refer the victim to counseling or temporary safe housing, and if needed, to the police.· Intervention centres which combine

comprehensive

police, judicial, social and health support should be developed in order to avoid the burden on the victims to go from one institution to the next. This is being tried in

Austria

with positive results.· The service centres are crucial in the efforts to assemble information and data, which are important as a basis for political action to prevent and respond to abuses in future. The services are therefore also tools for planning policy and evaluation.· Services must be provided without prejudices. We know that some women in need avoid to seek assistance because they fear being stigmatized or blamed. Poor and marginalized individuals have the same rights as others.· Essential services also include the provision of

information about the rights

of victims and access to legal aid.

· Hotlines

and telephone help services must be set up to provide information free of charge. It is important that those who are at the other end of the line have training in coping with difficult circumstances.· Ensuring that women have access to

shelters

to protect them from further violence is important. Good shelters also provide a range of other services. Even when the shelters are run by NGOs, the authorities have a responsibility and assist and co-operate. Shelters should be seen as an emergency, short term solution and of course not justify that the victim is the one who has to move.· Decisions to restrain the perpetrator can be decisive. There should be legal possibilities for intrusive barring or non-contact orders.Providing services are essential but they cannot eliminate the need to establish

an ethical consensus

that violence against women is an absolute taboo. The threshold must be made as high as ever possible.This is why it is particularly important that leading politicians, male and female, do demonstrate that this is a priority issue and that there has to be

zero tolerance

towards domestic violence.

[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SPzVUGE3dds?rel=0]
- A personal story about domestic violence – Patrick Stewart -

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Sources for this article include statements from Patrick Stewart for Amnesty International - Stop Violence Against Women Program and the words of Thomas Hammarberg of the Council of Europe – Women and Violence Campaign 2007 – 2008 via WUNRN – Women’s UN Report Network.

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