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Statement by Maud de Boer-Buquicchio, Deputy Secretary General of the Council of Europe at the Third Meeting of women members of the Parliamentary Assembly

Strasbourg, 27 June 2006

A while ago, when speaking at a hearing on the parliament’s role in combating violence against women, I said that women were not easy victims of violence; they were frequent victims of violence. There is a world of difference. Women do not get hurt because they are weak; they get hurt because they are let down.

All our member States are concerned. Economic, cultural and social circumstances all have an impact on the prevalence of violence against women but at the end of the day, what really makes a difference is what society does to prevent violence – not only by changing mentalities and attitudes, but especially by protecting victims and prosecuting the perpetrators.

The first step is to break the silence. But talking about violence is not enough; we must do something about it. What we need, in order to effectively combat violence against women, including domestic violence, are laws, legal instruments which are properly drafted and properly implemented.

The initiative to bring together women parliamentarians of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe can help us to move forward in this respect. We have an opportunity to speak, exchange bad experiences and good practices, and identify new initiatives to be taken at the European and, thanks to the presence of Mrs Yakin Ertürk, at the United Nations level. However, what is really important is what happens after Strasbourg, when you return to your countries of origin and especially in your parliaments. This is where the real action must take place. Keep up the effort, continue the good work, and work closely with your male colleagues.

Combating violence against women concerns us all, men and women alike. The active involvement of men is also one of the leit motifs of the Council of Europe Campaign to combat violence against women, including domestic violence. The blueprint of the campaign, which will be officially launched later in the year, has been adopted last week by the Committee of Ministers and the document describes the parliamentary, governmental and local authorities’ dimensions of this new Council of Europe Campaign. I am confident that parliamentarians, governments, non-governmental organisations and local authorities will work together to raise awareness and develop concrete tools to make quick and specific progress. We do not only want to make a statement we want to make a difference!

Domestic violence degrades the human dignity of the victim and the perpetrator, as well as other people in their immediate social environment, especially children. I am not saying this to equate the respective suffering or responsibility of those who hit and those who get hit. Nothing could be further from the truth, but I want to make one point very clear - combating violence against women including domestic violence is not a so-called “women” issue. It is not a problem of women and it should not only be a problem for women.

Violence against women and domestic violence is a frontal attack on the values of our society, on all the values of the Council of Europe. Let me welcome the presence here today of our Human Rights Commissioner, not only because he is a man, but first and foremost as he works on a daily basis to make sure that these values are a reality in our member States.

Doing something about it, now and effectively, may just be the thing that separates a progressive, modern, humane and genuinely civilised society from a jungle in disguise.