MOSCOW (Pakistan Point News / Sputnik - 25th November, 2020) The chairs of the PACE Committee on Equality and Non-Discrimination and the European Parliament's Committee on Women's Rights and Gender Equality (FEMM) released a joint statement on Wednesday calling on lawmakers across Europe to step up efforts for protecting women and girls from gender-based violence.
The statement marks the International Day for the Elimination of Violence against Women on November 25.
"[PACE Equality and Non-Discrimination chair Petra Bayr and FEMM Committee chair Evelyn Regner] join voices to denounce gender-based violence, calling on parliamentarians all over Europe to do more to protect women and girls from the risks they continue to run in all walks of life, from school and workplace right into their own homes, as well as online," the statement read.
As stressed by Bayr, the coronavirus pandemic has revealed the fragility of existing protection mechanisms for female victims of violence, especially domestic violence.
"The increase in violence during lockdown has been a shocking revelation in almost all our societies; it has put a magnifying glass on the harmful mindsets that still prevail," Bayr was quoted as saying.
Regner, in turn, pointed to the importance of changes in domestic policies and legislation to achieve gender equality, which in her opinion is a way to end gender-based violence by "ensuring respect between women and men in all their relations."
The two lawmakers have agreed to seek stronger cooperation between their respective organizations in pursuit of the elimination of gender-based violence, specifically via seeking national legislative reforms for better prevention and protection, as well as awareness raising, including among men and boys.
