European and International Policy Instruments on VAW.

1. European and International Policy Instruments on VAW. Patricia Prendiville. Women’s Therapy Centre Seminar. May 2014.

2. Member of the Board of WTC • Member of the Management Board of EU Fundamental Rights Agency which undertook the largest research in the world on VAW. • Worked as Interim CEO with Sonas Housing. • Worked as organisational development consultant with Rape Crisis Network Ireland, SAFE Ireland, Women’s Aid.

3. Levels of intervention - change Working with Individuals – survivors and perpetrators: therapy, healing, challenging behaviours and attitudes Training and mainstreaming analysis and responses – medical, psychological, police, education, housing etc . Legislative and Policy responses – local, regional, national and international.

4. Levels of intervention on VAW • Individual • Family • Community – awareness, service provision • National – legislation, policy, service provision, training of professionals, prevention • European – legislation and policy, good practice, coherence and transnational • International – human rights standards

5. European and International • Istanbul Convention – Council of Europe. • EU – various directives and Communications. • FRA – largest survey on VAW • Civil Society – WAVE and EWL • UN – resolutions, treaties, actions.

6. Istanbul Convention • Ireland needs to sign and ratify….and then implement and monitor the framework. • 4 key elements. • Prevention • Protection • Prosecution. • Integrated Policies

7. Prevention training professionals awareness raising gender equality and conflict resolution in teaching treatment progs for perpetrators work closely with NGO’s challenge gender stereotyping.

8. Protection • Specialised services • Police powers • Advice and information – easily available • Easily accessible shelters – distribution and numbers • Helplines • Rape and sexual violence referral centres.

9. Prosecution • Definitions of types of offences • Inclusion of newer definitions and forms of violence • Effective investigations • Trained investigators, prosecutors, judiciary

10. Integrated policies • National Committees. • National Action Plans developed following the guidelines • Inclusion of all relevant stakeholders. • MONITORING

11. EU • Policy – Ending Gender Based Violence; Protecting Victims; Raising Awareness. • Directives – 2011 – mutual recognition of protection measures, Preventing and combating trafficking in humans: combating sexual abuse and sexual exploitation of children; Victims of crime 2012. • COMM - FGM

12. EU • Support – through funding actions – Daphne 111; Rights Equality and Citizenship Programme. • Civil Society Organisations – WAVE and EWL. • EU Year on VAW 2016 – proposed • EIGE – Gender Institute. Observatory? • FRA – EU wide data

13. UN • Key issue – treaties, bodies, obligation on states. • CEDAW. Declaration 1993 on Eliminating all forms of VAW • Secretary General – UNITE – Orange Day • UPR – Human Rights Council - reports • CSW – reports and action plans • Special Rapporteur – VAW; Children and Trafficking • Commissioner for HR • Resolutions of GA

14. Commonalities • Integrated national plans of action • Multi-faceted and multi-level • Monitoring • Resourcing • Specialist services, accessible • Focus – for next generation to be different.

15. Further information. • www.fra.europa.eu • www.ec.europa.eu/justice gender equality • www.coe.int/dghl/standardsetting/convention-violence/about • www.unwomen.org • www.un.org/en/women/endviolence • www.womenlobby.org • www.wave-network.org