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The European Women’s Lobby Working together for women’s rights and gender equality in Europe

The European Women’s Lobby Working together for women’s rights and gender equality in Europe. Eha Reitelmann Estonian expert to the EWL Observatory on violence against women. 1. The European Women’s Lobby 2. The EWL and violence against women 3. The EWL and trafficking in women.

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The European Women’s Lobby Working together for women’s rights and gender equality in Europe

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  1. The European Women’s Lobby Working together for women’s rights and gender equality in Europe Eha Reitelmann Estonian expert to the EWL Observatory on violence against women

  2. 1. The European Women’s Lobby2. The EWL and violence against women3. The EWL and trafficking in women

  3. 1. The European Women’s Lobby

  4. The democratic voice of women at European level • The largest umbrella organisation of women’s associations in the EU • Promoting women’s rights and gender equality in Europe • Members in all 27 EU member states and 3 candidate countries, as well as 21 European-wide associations representing over 2500 women’s organisations

  5. EWL and the EU… • Monitoring of European, national and international policies and legislation • Advocacy on women’s rights • Projects on specific areas • Awareness raising / mobilization campaigns, communication, media •  European and international institutions •  Partnership with civil society •  Media and public opinion

  6. The main policy areas of EWL work: • Women in decision-making / Parity Democracy • Social Policy and Employment • Women's diversity and Anti-discrimination • Migration and Asylum • Violence Against Women • Women and the media

  7. 2. The EWL and violence against women

  8. EWL Centre on violence against women • The EWL European Observatory on Violence Against Women brings together experts from 30 European countries with extensive knowledge of violence against women • The Centre prepared the EWL contribution to the EC consultation on an EU strategy on violence against women • The Centre is preparing a Barometer on the National Action Plans in the EU member states

  9. EWL Charter of principles on violence against women • A Feminist perspective: violence against women is structural • Human Rights framework: violence against women is a human right violation • The autonomy and the empowerment of women • Prostitution and Trafficking in women • Recognition of diversity

  10. A European problem • Worries: • Invisibility of violence against women • No European action on violence against women  women are unequally protected in the EU and perpetrators face impunity • No gender perspective in the EU approach to trafficking in human beings

  11. A European problem • Opportunities: • Work programme of the EU presidency trio (Spain, Belgium, Hungary): the fight against violence against women as a priority • European Commission’s strategy on violence against women • EP written declaration on a European Year on violence against women • Council of Europe convention on combating violence against women

  12. 3. The EWL and trafficking in women

  13. Some figures… According to the United Nations: - Women are reported to be victims in more than 80% of trafficking cases, - 79% of reported trafficking in human beings is for sexual exploitation, - Women constitute 85% of the victims of trafficking for sexual exploitation. UNODC 2009 Global Report on Trafficking in Persons, and UNODC Preliminary findings of the human trafficking database (2003)

  14. EWL deliverables on trafficking and prostitution

  15. EWL deliverables on trafficking and prostitution The links between prostitution and sex trafficking: a briefing handbook (2006, EWL-CATW)

  16. EWL deliverables on trafficking and prostitution Film ‘Not for sale’ (2006, EWL-CATW)

  17. EWL advocacy work at EU level on trafficking in women • All EWL deliverables on violence against women include prostitution and trafficking in women • EWL work on prostitution and trafficking is based on two EWL motions • EWL is closely following all EU developments on trafficking (conferences, EP reports, Council conclusions, etc.)

  18. EC proposal for a directive on preventing and combating trafficking in human beings, and protecting victims • Proposal by the European Commission • Co-decision procedure: the European Parliament is working on it  FEMM and LIBE committees • First orientation vote of FEMM-LIBE on 2 September • Now: negotiation time between the EP and the Council

  19. EWL contribution to the EC proposal: Based on EWL position on prostitution and trafficking: • Prostitution and trafficking are forms of male violence against women • The tolerance for the prostitutional system in the EU fuels trafficking in women for sexual exploitation • Trafficking policies should include a systematic gender perspective

  20. Some positive FEMM-LIBE proposals: • Definition of trafficking: The consent of victims should always be irrelevant. • Prevention of trafficking: education and training, "particularly from a gender perspective", by Member States. • Victims should receive accommodation, medical care and witness protection so that they are not afraid to testify against the perpetrators of crime. They should have access to free legal advice and representation. Assistance to victims regardless of migration status. • Victims should not be punished for their involvement in criminal activities they have been compelled to commit. • Involvement of civil society in information and good practices sharing.

  21. What is missing… • No mention of the UN Convention of 1949 for the Suppression of the Traffic in Persons and of the Exploitation of the Prostitution of Others • FEMM LIBE proposal: “Member States must take measures to make it a criminal offence knowingly to use the sexual or other services of victims of trafficking”  EWL wants demand to be prosecuted, meaning prostitute-users to be punished, irrespective of their knowledge of the person being a victim of trafficking • Training on gender equality for all professionals involved, not only in prevention (also in investigation, prosecution, etc.)

  22. On trafficking and health • EWL position paper ‘Women’s health in the European Union’ •  stresses male violence against women as a structural determinant of women’s health risks •  highlights barriers in access to health services: inequalities, financial barriers, geographical barriers, discriminatory legislation for migrant, refugee and undocumented women

  23. On the Gothenburg recommendations: • Refer to the 1949 UN Convention as fundamental international human rights instrument • Trafficking policies should look at health provisions from a gender perspective  take into account women’s needs in terms of health + training of health professionals on women’s rights and violence against women • Access to healthcare should be given to victims irrespective of their migration status

  24. THANK YOU FOR YOUR ATTENTION! For more information: www.womenlobby.org www.ewlcentreonviolence.org

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