Back 8 March 2023: International Women’s Day is opportunity to take stock of progress

8 March 2023: International Women’s Day is opportunity to take stock of progress

International Women’s Day is a yearly opportunity to take stock of progress in the field of violence against women, while raising awareness of the leftover pressing issues. Evidence continues to show that women and girls are more exposed to types of cyberviolence than men. Published in 2022, the European Institute for Gender Equality (EIGE)’s Report on Combating Cyberviolence against women provides an in-depth investigation into the phenomenon of cyberviolence and how it affects women and girls specifically.

On year ago exactly, on 8 March 2022, the European Commission proposed a new directive on combatting violence against women and domestic violence. The proposal aimed at ensuring a minimum level of protection across the EU against such violence. The new rules will include criminalisation of cyberviolence by allowing for quick judicial proceedings to have relevant online content removed swiftly, safe reporting and risk assessment procedures, right to compensation of victims and support for victims through helplines. While the directive is currently being discussed, Commissioner for Equality Helena Dalli emphasized that, “with this proposal, we will make a difference to women and girls across Europe.”

In November 2022, an International Conference on Promoting the role of women in preventing, investigating and prosecuting cybercrime was organised by the Council of Europe in cooperation with the Legislative Assembly and Public Ministry of Costa Rica in San Jose, Costa Rica. It was noted that while women have a crucial role to play in effective criminal justice responses to cybercrime, further action is needed to strengthen the involvement of women as policymakers or legislators developing and adopting legislation on cybercrime, or as law enforcement, prosecutorial or judicial practitioners investigating and prosecuting such offences. Concerted efforts are also required to enhance the criminal justice response to cybercrimes that target women, and to ensure that women can access justice when they do become victims of cybercrime. “There is still much to be done, not only in criminal investigation and prosecution, but also efforts and investment must be made in prevention, training our children and young people in schools and colleges to develop good digital habits and a culture of correct use of social networks.”, stated Gloria Navas Montero, Vice-President of the Legislative Assembly of Costa Rica.

On the International Day for the Elimination of Violence against Women, on 25 November, Chair of Committee of Ministers, Þórdís Kolbrún Reykfjörð Gylfadóttir, Icelandic Minister for Foreign Affairs, confirmed Iceland’s willingness to have a special focus on action against digital violence. “As a part of our Presidency, we will actively engage in the campaign of the 16 Days of Activism against Gender-Based Violence starting today that aims to prevent and eliminate violence against women and girls. To demonstrate our solidarity in eliminating all forms of violence against women and girls, the Icelandic Ministry for Foreign Affairs in Reykjavik and Icelandic embassies around the world will be lit up in orange during the 16 days of Activism against Gender-Based Violence. This is done in connection with the Orange Day by the UNiTE to End Violence against Women Campaign on 25 November. The colour orange symbolizes a brighter future, free of violence.”

A few days after, the Platform of Independent Expert Mechanisms on Discrimination and Violence against Women (EDVAW Platform) launched its first thematic paper on the digital dimension of violence against women as addressed by its seven mechanisms. This paper was adopted under the presidency of the Council of Europe Expert Group on Action against Violence against Women and Domestic Violence (GREVIO).

Last event of the year on the topic of digital violence against women, a joint conference was held on 6 December under the Icelandic Presidency of the Council of Europe and organised jointly with the Violence against Women Division and the Cybercrime Division of the Council of Europe. The event highlighted the strengths of the Budapest Convention and its 2nd Additional Protocol on enhanced cooperation and disclosure of electronic evidence and the tools they offer to investigate crimes and obtain evidence across border and to ensure the necessary international co-operation. The President of Iceland, Guðni T. Jóhannesson, stressed the need of further progress on gender equality and fighting online violence.

To kickstart 2023, Ambassador of Iceland Ragnhildur Arnljótsdóttir also addressed cyberviolence against women at an International Conference on Xenophobia and Racism committed through computer systems in Strasbourg, France on 30-31 January: “Online xenophobic and racist hatred is even more serious when it targets women and children, people with disabilities, migrants, refugees, or when it is combined with LGBTI phobic hate speech. The Council of Europe is working accross various sectors through the mechanisms of Budapest Convention, Istanbul Convention and Lanzarote Convention to ensure that human rights are upheld in cyberspace for all.

Additionally, the European Commission had announced in 2022 a EU-wide harmonised number for helplines for victims of violence against women : 116 016, reachable with the same number across the EU. Member States will commit to connecting their existing helplines for victims of violence against women to this number before end of April 2023.

Strasbourg 8 March 2023
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