Last week, the WIDE+ secretariat had sent a letter to the European Parliament, namely to the rapporteurs and co-rapporteurs of the proposed EU Directive on Combating Violence against Women and Domestic Violence. This directive was proposed by the European Commission in 2022.
Given that the Istanbul Convention has yet to be ratified by all Member States, a directive on violence against women (VAW) and domestic violence (DV) is crucial to put in place minimum standards for policies that can protect, prevent and prosecute gender-based violence across the EU.
Our position statement highlights the importance of adopting a stronger intersectional approach when tackling gender-based violence. WIDE+ has a very active migration and gender working group comprising self-organised migrant women from across Europe. In this working group, we advocate for migrant women’s rights based on our collective lived experiences, expertise, and evidence-based research. In this position statement, we also want to stress the importance of language when addressing the increased incidence of violence and barriers faced by migrant women. These are the proposed recommendations:
- Adopt a stronger intersectional approach in the EU Directive
- Strengthen preventive action to stop the cycle of violence
- Increase funding and partnership with women’s rights organisations
To download and read the letter, click here.