Opinion The European solution

Now is the time to accelerate measures to stamp out all forms of violence against women and girls and push the agenda of gender equality. Custom,tradition,culture,privacy,religion or so-called honour cannot be invoked to justify violence. Neither can states avoid their obligations to prevent,eliminate and effectively prosecute the perpetrators of such crimes. The protection of women in conflict situations and ending impunity in such crimes must be a priority.

But how successfully can we fight gender violence? Is capital punishment an answer? Experience in the Philippines has shown that this deterrence measure has limited effect and negative consequences. The reinstitution of capital punishment in the 1980s led to more cases of homicide — offenders killed the rape victims to take out witnesses.

Only by eliminating the root causes of inequity,such as the power imbalance between women and men,can we arrive at any solution. The promotion of gender equality and ensuring basic human rights for women and girls must be important goals. The EU has put in place comprehensive policies aimed at ensuring women an equal role and rights to participate in political,economic and social life. These policies are geared towards helping them reconcile their professional and private lives,so that both women and men can achieve equal and genuine economic independence. What is still needed is a change in perception: women should be viewed as strong and independent rather than “weak and vulnerable’’,an idea that still prevails.

Alongside positive measures to empower women,steps to combat violence include improving knowledge and data collection,raising awareness,and legislative action such as the EU laws on human trafficking,sexual abuse and exploitation of children,and on the rights of and protection for all victims of crime. The EU also has other pieces of legislation in the pipeline,including the European Protection Order in civil matters,which aims to provide protection to the victims of violence across all EU countries. The 27 EU member-states have implemented all-encompassing,long-term strategies and action plans,combining legislative and non-legislative measures that protect victims and prosecute perpetrators. General and specialised support services have also been put in place.

The European experience shows that violence against women can be partly prevented through various measures. For example,teaching material should include issues such as gender equality and non-violent conflict resolution in interpersonal relationships,awareness-raising campaigns should be run regularly,treatment programmes must be set up for the perpetrators of domestic violence and for sex offenders,and the media as well as the private sector should be roped in to eradicate gender stereotypes and promote mutual respect. But the key lies in changing attitudes,gender roles and stereotypes that make violence against women acceptable. This must start from a young age,at school but also at home. We cannot expect boys to change their attitude to girls and women unless they see them as equals,worthy of respect. Apart from schools,visual media,especially films,television serials,songs and awareness-raising initiatives by non-governmental organisations that promote women’s rights,can catalyse a change in mindsets.

Here in India,promoting gender equality is a priority for the EU. The EU and its member states currently support more than 30 projects implemented by non-governmental organisations that address girls’ education,skills development and sexual and reproductive health. These concerns are also an integral part of the millennium development goals. They are,in fact,a condition for the achievement of all the MDGs. However,while there has been significant progress in the area of primary education,results in the fields of employment and political empowerment are less encouraging.

While laws,constitutional rights and the justice system constitute one necessary strand of the campaign for gender equality,another strand is positive action that helps women,whether it is through education,training or other forms of empowerment,to be aware of and fight for their own rights. A third and equally necessary strand is to work with boys and men,encouraging them to play an active role in the campaign and see gender equality as their responsibility too. Only by pushing all three with equal vigour can we make significant progress towards the goals of eliminating discrimination and achieving gender equality.

The writer is ambassador of the European Union to India

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