The role of media in preventing and combating violence against women

1. The role of media in preventing and combating violence against women Carolina Lasén Diaz Gender Equality Unit Directorate General of Democracy Council of Europe

2. Preventing violence against women through sustained measures that address its root causes and aim at changing attitudes, gender roles and stereotypes that make violence against women acceptable; Protecting women and girls who are known to be at risk and setting up specialist support services for victims and their children (shelters, round-the-clock telephone helplines, rape crisis or sexual violence referral centres); Prosecuting the perpetrators, including by establishing new criminal offences and improving how investigations are carried out; Adopting and implementing state-wide ‘integrated policies’ that are effective, co-ordinated and comprehensive, in that they encompass all relevant measures to prevent and combat all forms of violence against women. The Council of Europe • It is NOT related to the European Union • A regional intergovernmental organisation • Founded in 1949 • 47 member States (incl. EU-28), 800 million Europeans (from Iceland to Russia) • Aims: to protect and promote human rights, pluralistic democracy and the rule of law - (the European Court of Human Rights is part of the Council of Europe)

3. Preventing violence against women through sustained measures that address its root causes and aim at changing attitudes, gender roles and stereotypes that make violence against women acceptable; Protecting women and girls who are known to be at risk and setting up specialist support services for victims and their children (shelters, round-the-clock telephone helplines, rape crisis or sexual violence referral centres); Prosecuting the perpetrators, including by establishing new criminal offences and improving how investigations are carried out; Adopting and implementing state-wide ‘integrated policies’ that are effective, co-ordinated and comprehensive, in that they encompass all relevant measures to prevent and combat all forms of violence against women. Relevant Council of Europe standards to prevent violence against women • The 2011 Istanbul Convention (more soon!) • The 2005 Council of Europe Convention on Action against Trafficking in Human Beings • The large majority of victims of THB for the purpose of sexual exploitation are women • Art.5: National policies/programmes for prevention to include research, information, awareness raising and education campaigns, social and economic initiatives and training programmes (for persons vulnerable to trafficking and for relevant professionals). • Art.11: Parties to take measures to encourage the media to protect the private life and identity of victims through self-regulation

4. Preventing violence against women through sustained measures that address its root causes and aim at changing attitudes, gender roles and stereotypes that make violence against women acceptable; Protecting women and girls who are known to be at risk and setting up specialist support services for victims and their children (shelters, round-the-clock telephone helplines, rape crisis or sexual violence referral centres); Prosecuting the perpetrators, including by establishing new criminal offences and improving how investigations are carried out; Adopting and implementing state-wide ‘integrated policies’ that are effective, co-ordinated and comprehensive, in that they encompass all relevant measures to prevent and combat all forms of violence against women. The Istanbul Convention • Council of Europe Convention on Preventing and Combating Violence against Women and Domestic Violence (the Istanbul Convention) • Complements and expands other international standards, including CEDAW, Belém do Pará Convention and the Protocol on the Rights of Women in Africa • Adopted in May 2011 (opened for signature in Istanbul) • 11 Contracting Parties so far (Albania, Andorra, Austria, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Denmark, Italy, Montenegro, Portugal, Serbia, Spain and Turkey) • 23 signatures not yet followed by ratification • Entry into force: 1 August 2014 • Open to accession by any country in the world

5. Preventing violence against women through sustained measures that address its root causes and aim at changing attitudes, gender roles and stereotypes that make violence against women acceptable; Protecting women and girls who are known to be at risk and setting up specialist support services for victims and their children (shelters, round-the-clock telephone helplines, rape crisis or sexual violence referral centres); Prosecuting the perpetrators, including by establishing new criminal offences and improving how investigations are carried out; Adopting and implementing state-wide ‘integrated policies’ that are effective, co-ordinated and comprehensive, in that they encompass all relevant measures to prevent and combat all forms of violence against women. The 4 ‘P’s of the Istanbul Convention • Prevention of violence against women through sustained measures that address its root causes and aim at changing attitudes, gender roles and stereotypes that make violence against women acceptable; • Protection of women and girls at risk and setting up specialist support services for victims and their children (shelters, round-the-clock telephone helplines, rape crisis, etc.); • Prosecution of perpetrators, including through new criminal offences and improving investigations; • Adopting and implementing country-wide ‘integrated Policies’ that are effective, co-ordinated and comprehensive, encompassing all relevant measures to prevent and combat all forms of violence against women.

6. FORMS OF VIOLENCE COVERED BY THE CONVENTION • The Convention addresses violence against women, including domestic violence: • Sexual violence, including rape • Physical violence • Psychological violence • Stalking • Sexual harassment • Forced marriage • Female genital mutilation • Forced sterilisation and forced abortion • Domestic violence (acts of physical, sexual, psychological or economic violence within family)

7. PREVENTION - THE ISTANBUL CONVENTION • Regularly run awareness-raising campaigns • Tackle attitudes, prejudices, gender roles and stereotypes through teaching materials • Set-up treatment programmes for perpetrators of domestic violence and for sex offenders • Work closely with NGOs and the media • Train professionals in close contact with potential victims

8. Preventive measures against VAW: Obligations for Parties (Article 12) • Take “measures to promote changes in the social and cultural patterns of behaviour of women and men with a view to eradicating prejudices, customs, traditions and all other practices based on the idea of the inferiority of women or on stereotyped roles for women and men” • Take the necessary legislative and other measures to prevent all forms of violence covered by the Convention

9. Preventive measures against VAW: the role of the private sector and the media (Art. 17) • Parties must encourage the private sector, the ICT sector and the media to participate in policy development and implementation and to set guidelines and self-regulatory standards to prevent VaW • Parties must develop and promote (in co-operation with private sector actors) skills among children, parents and educators on how to deal with the information and communications environment that provides access to degrading content of a sexual or violent nature • which might be harmful.

10. The role of media • Media can play an important role in perpetuating myths and stereotypes against women and act as a space for new forms of violence (e.g. cyber-stalking) as well as minimise violence • The internet provides anonymity and a sense of impunity • But the internet also a huge potential for positive action: • “Everyday Sexism Project”: http://everydaysexism.com • “Take Back the Tech”: www.takebackthetech.net • Public and private media can also be partners in raising awareness and conducting campaigns about • VaW to bring about change. • 2008 Guidelines for reporting VaW • (by the International Federation of Journalists)

11. Council of Europe Recommendation on Gender Equality and Media • Context of persistence of violent content and stereotypes against women in the media and rapidly changing media technology landscape • Adopted by the Committee of Ministers in July 2013 • States should adopt a legal framework to ensure the prohibition of all discrimination on grounds of sex, as well as of incitement to hatred and to any form of gender-based violence within the media. • Media organisations should be encouraged to promote a non-stereotyped image, role and visibility of women and men through self-regulatory measures, internal codes of conduct or ethics and standards in media coverage.

12. Council of Europe Conference on Media and the Image of Women (Amsterdam, July 2013) • Hosted by the Dutch Government [short video] Main recommendations include: • to provide clear legal frameworks and user-friendly legal remedies in cases of sexist/harmful media content • strengthen self-regulatory mechanisms and CoC • to combat stereotypes through: • Addressing them proactively, incl. by covering GBV • Careful reporting (use appropriate language and terminology when describing human rights violations) • Concerted action: governments, media companies, international organisations • Training/Toolkits for journalists (e.g. 2013 CoE report “Women and journalists first”)

13. Council of Europe Gender Equality Strategy (2014-2017) • Adopted by the Committee of Ministers in Nov. 2013 • Two of its five strategic objectives are: • Preventing and combating violence against women • Combating gender stereotypes and sexism • The Strategy refers to the need to collect and disseminate information on measures taken at the national level to prevent and combat violence against women, giving visibility to good practices. • A compilation of contributions from member states on key challenges and good practices on gender equality and the media will soon be made available (give me your card) • The Strategy puts forward measures /actions to promote gender equality awareness, combat sexism as a form of hate speech, and promote a positive non-stereotyped image of women and men in the media.

14. In conclusion: • The Council of Europe hasstandards and tools to support member states in the prevention of VaW (2011 Istanbul Convention, 2013 Recommendation, 2014 collection of good practices from member states...) • Prevention measures need to be integrated in a wider policy response to VaWat the national level. • Countries need to engage with the media sector: they need to be involved in this work given their very important role in helping to prevent and combat VaW • Promising practices at the national level need to be collected and disseminated to learn from initiatives and experiences (from the region and from other regions) that have proved to work well

15. Council of Europe Equality Division Directorate General of Democracy Council of Europe 67075 Strasbourg France E-mail: conventionviolence@coe.int Fax: +33 (0) 3 88 41 27 64 www.coe.int/conventionviolence www.coe.int/equality CONTACTINFORMATION