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The Protection of Women against Violence

Document number
1355
Date
2002
Title
The Protection of Women against Violence
Author/publisher
Council of Europe
Availability
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Document type(s)
International Law,
Keywords
Recommendation Rec(2002)5 of the Committee of Ministers to member States on the protection of women against violence adopted on 30 April 2002 and Explanatory Memorandum
Summary
Origins of the recommendation: the Council of Europe’s work 5 • Starting in the late 1970s, the Council of Europe and in particular its first Committee for the promotion of equality between women and men, took a series of initiatives to promote the protection of women against violence. • Recommendations were drawn up on the rights of victims of violence to assistance, the legal remedies open to them and the respect due to them in all criminal proceedings. The need for prevention and education was also stressed. Other surveys were carried out, and proposals formulated 6 , which led to the 3rd European Ministerial Conference on Equality between Women and Men (Rome, 21-22 October 1993) on: “Strategies for the elimination of violence against women in society: the media and other means”. The Declaration and Resolutions 7 adopted by the ministers at that conference contained an outline of the Plan of Action that was to be expanded upon later. • This work continued, and in 1997 a Group of specialists working under the auspices of the Steering Committee for Equality between Women and Men (CDEG) finalised a Plan of Action for Combating Violence against Women 8 . • On the basis of that plan, a number of activities were organised. These mainly took the form of conferences and research seminars: - Seminar on “Promoting Equality: a common issue for men and women” (Strasbourg, 17-18 June 1997); - Information Forum on “Ending domestic violence: action and measures” (Bucharest, 26-28 November 1998); - Seminar on “Men and Violence against Women” (Strasbourg, 7-8 October 1999) 9 . • The following reference documents have also been published: - “Violence against Women. Compilation of Council of Europe texts since 1995” (document EG(99)14); - “Legislation in the member states of the Council of Europe in the field of violence against women” (document EG(2001)3). • The Council of Europe Parliamentary Assembly’s Committee on Equal Opportunities for Women and Men also held a seminar on “Violence against Women: from Domestic Abuse to Slavery” (Bari, Italy, 4-6 November 1999). The Assembly itself has recently adopted two texts: - Recommendation 1450 (2000) on violence against women in Europe; - Resolution 1212 (2000) on rape in armed conflicts.
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