Eliminating Violence Against Women in Europe

BIRKIRKARA, Malta - Nov. 12, 2013 - PRLog -- City of Vienna, European Institute for Gender Equality (EIGE) and World Health Organisation Europe (WHO Europe) join forces to share experiences and improve action.

In Vienna, on 25 and 26 November 2013, more than 200 representatives from around 50 European countries will discuss novel and established strategies to combat violence against women, tackling various aspects such as intimate partner violence, sexual assault, rape, human trafficking and female genital mutilation. The debate will focus on how an intersectoral approach can put a halt to violence against women. “Eliminating violence against women in Europe – Intersectoral approaches and actions” is a two-day conference organised jointly by the City of Vienna, the European Institute for Gender Equality (EIGE) and the World Health Organization Regional Office for Europe (WHO Europe).

Gender-based violence against women is a problem of epidemic proportions in all European countries, and one of the most pervasive classes of human rights violations in Europe. According to WHO estimates, one in four women in the WHO European region will experience gender-based violence at some point in their lives. UNODC figures show that in Europe on average 18 women are killed each day, and 12 of these are murdered by intimate partners or other family members. In the EU, nine out of ten victims of intimate partner violence are women. The number of women victims of physical intimate partner violence in the EU Member States ranges between 12 and 35 per cent. This has dramatic consequences for gender equality and women’s health. Women who have been sexually assaulted or abused by their partners report higher rates of a number of key health problems such as low birth weight of children, problematic alcohol use, depression or suicide.

The conference will provide an opportunity to present new data and information gathered by EIGE, WHO and other organisations; to share experiences and best practices in preventing and addressing violence against women; to discuss the involvement of all relevant sectors in policy-making and action; and to consider new frameworks and guidelines for the health sector to effectively respond to violence against women.

For further information about the conference or to follow the conference via live video stream visit http://eige.europa.eu/content/event/eliminating-violence-against-women-in-europe-intersectoral-approaches-and-actions.