Today, November 25, 2019, we celebrate the International Day of the Elimination of Violence against Women. On this very day in 1960, Patria, Minerva and María Teresa Mirabal, sisters and political activists against the regime of Rafael Trujillo, president of the Dominican Republic, were tortured and murdered. Since then, the international community remembers their sacrifice as a symbol of our commitment to eradicate all forms of violence against women, one of the most widespread human rights violations today.
Obviously, when we refer to violence against women, the concept encompasses a wide array of criminal offenses, from sexual violence and harassment, rape, forced marriage, stalking, human trafficking for sexual exploitation, genital mutilation, child marriage, psychological abuse, etc. And the truth is that the figures provided by the United Nations are shocking: 1 in 3 women experience physical or sexual violence in their lifetime; worldwide, almost 750 million women today are married before they are 18 years old; 200 million women and girls have suffered genital mutilation; 71 per cent of all human trafficking victims worldwide are women; in 2017, 1 in 2 women killed worldwide were killed by their partners or other close relatives.
Let’s be clear, only the collective effort of civil societies and governments will make a substantial dent in these terrible tendencies.
To achieve this goal, however, a comprehensive approach is needed at home, at school, at the workplace, and at the level of the institutional response to the challenge of violence against women. During my stay in Trinidad and Tobago, I have been impressed by the fine work carried out by local NGOs and institutions. I note, in particular, the outstanding job being done by the Coalition against Domestic Violence, led by its president, Ms Roberta Clarke. I still remember the compelling testimonies shared by several women on the occasion of the Public Dialogue on Domestic Violence organised in June this year by the Embassy of Spain and the Coalition against Domestic Violence, in collaboration with my colleagues of the European Union Delegation.
Violence against women is a global problem. Several international conventions deal with the elimination of violence against women, in particular the Convention for the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women (New York 1979), and the Convention of Istanbul (2011) on prevention and fight against violence against women and domestic violence.
Let me briefly mention several seminal steps that my country, in which successive governments have decided to place gender equality and elimination of gender-based violence as one of the top items on its political agenda, has taken in the last 15 years.
Beyond the gender equality enshrined in the Spanish Constitution of 1979, on December 28, 2004, the Spanish Parliament unanimously passed legislation, Integral Measures against Gender-based Violence, and established courts specialising in cases of violence against women. The law is based on prevention, protection and rehabilitation of the victim, and the prosecution of crime.
Most importantly, the State Pact among all political parties and all levels of government, ratified in December 2017, was structured around ten different goals, encompassing 214 measures aimed at guaranteeing the improvement and enhancement of the system for eradicating all forms of gender violence, regardless of the political party in government. This is of crucial importance: a clear, non-partisan support from all political parties and their unflinching and genuine determination to do away with this violence, must be at the core of all efforts, at national level.
Today, marks the opening of 16 Days of Activism which will end on December 10, when we will celebrate the International Day of Human Rights. Spain will participate in the programme of activities organised by ECLAC, along with others like the British High Commission and the Canadian High Commission. Let’s all find some time to take part in this initiative. Not only will it make us all feel better but, most importantly, we’ll generate a shared sense of purpose.