Στην Συνεδρίαση των Γυναικών του Ευρωπαϊκού Λαϊκού Κόμματος που έγινε στο Βερολίνο στις 11ης Νοεμβρίου, με συμμετοχή και του Διεθνούς Προεδρείου της Ευρωπαϊκής Ένωσης Γυναικών -στο οποίο παρέστη και η Πρόεδρός μας Κα Αφροδίτη Μπλέτα ως εκλεγμένη πρώτη Αντιπρόεδρος-, εξεδόθη το ακόλουθο ψήφισμα αναφορικά με την βία κατά των γυναικών. Το ψήφισμα θα κατατεθεί και στην Πολιτική Σύνοδο του ΕΛΚ στις 4 και 5 Δεκεμβρίου.
Having regard to:
-The values of the EPP, being based on liberty, justice, human rights, gender equality and democracy;
-Several congress resolutions of EPP Women in which violence against women and sexual harassment are addressed, and in particular the resolutions on “Women in Conflict Zones and Situations”, adopted in 2010 in The Hague and on “Migration and Integration: The Impact on Women” adopted in 2016 in Sofia;
-EU statistics, showing that one in three women has experienced sexual and/or physical violence during her life, and one in two women (55%) has experienced sexual harassment;
-The fact that the elimination of violence against women has been declared a priority of the European Commission for year 2017, and that it has launched campaigns in this respect across the EU;
-The fact that the United Nations has designated November 25 as the International Day for the Elimination of Violence Against Women, and 10 December as Day of Human Rights;
The EPP WOMEN, gathered in Berlin for its Annual Congress on 11 November 2017:
1. Recognizes that violence against women is a huge problem in our society, affecting a significant part of the European population;
2. Stresses that violence against women and sexual harassment should not be seen as a private issue of the victim, but as a common concern of society;
3. Urges all EU member states to sign and ratify the Council of Europe Convention on preventing and combating violence against women and domestic violence* (Istanbul Convention, May 2011) , implying that these states are legally bound by its provisions;
4. Highlights that, due to the dimension of the problem, more actions are needed on the highest levels of decision-making to address this issue;
5. Calls on the EPPW national member organizations to organize a set of targeted events or campaigns in order to raise awareness about violence against women and sexual harassment and to encourage, as well as empower women to address these abuses;
6. Calls upon the EPPW national member organisations to build up an Action Plan on these issues to be implemented on local level on the occasion of the International Day for the Elimination of Violence Against Women and the Day of Human Rights.
*Thus far the Convention has been signed and ratified by Albania, Andorra, Austria, Belgium, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Denmark, Finland, Estonia, France, Georgia, Germany, Italy, Malta, Monaco, Montenegro, the Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Romania, Turkey, Portugal, San Marino, Serbia, Slovenia, Spain and Sweden.