Stop Violence against Women

Stop Violence against Women

Brussels, 22 November 2012 - Trade unions are urging governments to take concrete action to stop violence against women, as the 25 November International Day for the Elimination of Violence Against Women approaches.

Violence against women is the most widespread and socially tolerated of all human rights violations. The latest report of the UN Special Rapporteur (May 2012) confirms that the amount of different types of gender-related killings is reaching alarming proportions.

Sharan Burrow, ITUC General Secretary, said “Governments have the responsibility to stop violence against women, but too many of them are failing to do so. Impunity is the norm in many places, so we need better laws to prevent violence, and real enforcement of these laws to protect women and girls.”

The unions are also pointing to the impact of economic austerity measures, with reduced services to protect women, and economic stresses fuelling violent behaviour.

“A major focus for the union movement is to tackle violence against women at the workplace. Unions around the world are working on measures to ensure women are protected at work, and education and publicity actions to bring home just how serious and unacceptable it is to ignore the issue,” said Burrow.

Public demonstrations and events to mobilise support for the campaign will take place on 25 November, including union-organised events in Colombia, Democratic Republic of Congo, Ecuador, India, Italy, Panama, the Philippines and Mozambique.

For more information:
• See the series of articles in Equal Times http://www.equaltimes.org/
• Watch the ITUC video http://www.ituc-csi.org/migrant-domestic-workers-in-the.html
• Visit http://www.un.org/en/women/endviolence/ - UNiTE to End Violence against Women campaign, supported by the ITUC
• See the GUF statement on http://www.ituc-csi.org/guf-statement-for-57-uncsw.html

The ITUC represents 175 million workers in 308 affiliated national organisations from 153 countries and territories.
Follow us on the web: http://www.ituc-csi.org and http://www.youtube.com/ITUCCSI

ENDS

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