Violence against women and girls is a form of gender-based violence, recognised as a form of discrimination and violation of human rights.
According to the “Istanbul Convention”, violence against women is type of violence that is directed against a woman because she is a woman or that affects women disproportionately and results in physical, sexual, psychological or economic harm or suffering to women, including threats of such acts, coercion or arbitrary deprivation of liberty, whether occurring in public or in private life. In 2014, the UN Committee on the Rights of the Child and the UN Committee on the Elimination of Discrimination against Women issued a joint recommendation on the harmful practices affecting girls.3 The “Istanbul Convention” also combats all of these harmful practices as a form of violence against women.
Female genital mutilation (FGM): This harmful practice directed at girls and women causes serious physical and mental harm and can even put their life at risk. It violates the children’s right to physical integrity, right to health and right to protection from cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment.4
Child and/or forced marriage: Many countries in Europe allow children to get married, usually from the age of 16 or 17 with the permission of their parents or judicial authorities. The majority of child marriages involve girls. The UN Committee on the Rights of the Child emphasises that marriage below 18 years of age may be allowed only in exceptional circumstances, and that child marriage is considered a form of forced marriage, given that one or both parties have not expressed full, free and informed consent. For girls, getting married often means dropping out of school, and transitioning too quickly from childhood to adult life, and they are often subject to other forms of violence, including sexual and physical violence as well as early or unwanted pregnancies.
Crimes committed in the name of so-called “honour”: All forms of violence against girls and women in the name of traditional codes of honour are considered to be so-called ‘honour crimes’ and constitute a serious violation of human rights. Such violence takes various forms, such as “honour killings”, assault, torture, restrictions on free association, captivity or imprisonment, and interference in the choice of a spouse or partner.
With the exception of its provisions on Female genital mutilation, forced sterilisation and forced abortion, the “Istanbul Convention” (Convention on Preventing and Combating Violence against Women) is drafted in gender-neutral language and its provisions apply equally to both sexes. This means that any of its provisions can be implemented with a view to supporting and protecting boys who experience any of the forms of violence covered by the convention. As far as domestic violence is concerned, the “Istanbul Convention” encourages state parties to implement provisions against it with respect to children as well, both boys and girls, as the drafters recognised that many children are exposed to domestic violence and are thus in need of support. In other cases, children are not being targeted themselves, but witness violence against their mothers. Either way, they suffer and need to be protected.
All international organisations, including the Council of Europe, stress the importance of prevention, including awareness-raising campaigns and education targeting both girls and boys.
Educating for gender equality
Today’s girls are tomorrow’s women just as today’s boys are tomorrow’s men. Attitudes, convictions and behavioural patterns are shaped very early on in life. To break the continuity of gender-based violence, it is essential to change mentalities, attitudes and gender relations. Education for gender equality starts with building gender awareness. This means recognising the negative impacts of gender stereotypes and addressing the inequalities that arise from them. The outcome of education for gender equality for girls is greater self-confidence, assertiveness, independence and engagement in the public sphere. The outcome for boys is overcoming fear of failure, learning to be less aggressive, becoming more sociable and responsible, and engaging more in the private sphere.
To be effective at education for gender equality, educators must recognise their own gender stereotypes and reflect whether their teaching methods, language and interaction with boys and girls reflect the gender equality they are striving to convey. Educators in general can promote gender equality through their behaviour and attitude by ensuring that girls and boys have the same opportunities for participation and interaction in any activity.
The “Istanbul Convention” requires states parties to teach children the concept of equality between women and men, non-stereotyped gender roles, and non-violent conflict resolution in interpersonal relationships. Building gender relations on mutual respect and recognition rather than dominance and control is the best way to prevent gender-based violence.
