Nov 25 - Break The Silence On Domestic Violence - GSD Raises Awareness
The GSD has released the following statement to coincide with the UN’s ‘International Day for the Elimination of Violence Against Women’ which is marked today:
Today is about speaking out on preventing and combating violence against women and domestic violence globally. A day to reflect on the extent of such a blight in our own society, to raise awareness about what domestic violence exactly is and to suggest ways forward in order to address the problem. Today serves as a reminder of the work that remains ahead of us.
Domestic violence against women knows no geographical boundary, age limit or colour and affects every type of family relationship and social class. Statistics show that 15% of women in Europe and 1 in 3 women around the world face violence in the home every day. It is one of the most widespread violations of human rights. Every day women fall victim of violence as they are stalked, harassed, raped, mutilated, forced by their family to enter into a marriage, trafficked for sex, sterilised against their will or psychologically and physically abused in the “safety” of their own homes. Domestic violence is the most pervasive, and likely the most underreported, form of violence against women worldwide.
Isobel Ellul-Hammond, Opposition Spokesman for Equality said: “This is sadly evidenced in Gibraltar’s own figures where during the first nine months of 2013, 38 cases of domestic violence were reported to the Royal Gibraltar Police, where around less than half of the perpetrators were charged; a figure domestic violence support workers claim is under-representative of what is really happening behind closed doors. At present, the shelter for women is seeing a pick-up rate of about two or three women a week seeking to escape a violent environment.
However, the introduction of the RGP’s Safeguarding Unit has created a safe focal point of contact for women who need support and guidance. We await progress with the development of a domestic violence forum to deal with the issue, as the Minister for Equality promised in her Budget speech of July this year. Jamie Netto, GSD MP and former Social Services Minister, last year called for effective educational awareness programmes for schools and outreach programmes to those adults affected in the community; the GSD still stands by these initiatives. Preventing violence, protecting its victims and prosecuting the perpetrators are the cornerstones, or should be, of our society.”
Bringing the ‘White Ribbon Campaign’ (an NGO of men who speak out about male violence against women), and its vision, to Gibraltar is another initiative the GSD would welcome. We must seek to change the hearts and minds of individuals by calling on all members of society, in particular men and boys, to change attitudes. In essence, it is also a renewed call for greater equality between women and men, because violence against women is deeply rooted in the inequality in society, perpetuated by a culture of tolerance and denial. It is crucial that more men speak out against the problem and get involved in changing attitudes in society, not just women. Too often, boys and young men are taught to equate masculinity with the use of violence and dominance over women and girls; too often such behaviour is tolerated and met with silence. It is time to break the silence against domestic violence.
