International Day for the Elimination of Violence against Women

 

25 November 2023, AKEL C.C. Press Office, Nicosia

The 25 November – International Day for the Elimination of Violence against Women – reminds us that International Conventions, laws and Declarations alone are not enough to address the most silenced form of violence around the world. What is needed first and foremost is political will, accompanied by adequate budgets, to implement comprehensive policies to prevent and combat all forms of gender-based violence.

The state must stand by the victims with adequate structures and support actions. At the same time, the justice system must send a message to the perpetrators and society that these crimes are not tolerated.

AKEL will continue to work for the effective implementation of all the provisions of the Istanbul Convention and the combatting of gender stereotypes that are the root cause of violence against women.

At the same time, we stress the need to create state structures for the accommodation and support of battered women and to develop programmes for the support and recovery of victims. To this end, we have already submitted a relevant bill proposal for legal aid for all the victims of domestic violence, remaining on the side of all those who are daily confronted with the multiple inequalities that women are subjected to in our society.

The criminal expression of the inequalities to which women are subjected will only be eliminated if we take targeted and effective action.