Data: 7 marzo 2022
Autori: oltre 130 organizzazioni e network nazionali ed internazionali
Together we call on the European Union to adopt a forward-thinking and truly inclusive approach to gender-based violence - that leaves no one behind and strives to achieve real change in the lives of all people, without discrimination. To meaningfully address gender-based violence in the European Union, we must promote inclusion, safety, protection, well-being and effective remedies for those most at risk.
In the lead up to International Women’s Day, 8 March, and the expected publication of a draft EU law to address violence against women and domestic violence, the under-signed organisations have adopted this manifesto for a truly inclusive EU law and policy. We welcome the leadership of the European Commission in taking action, and the engagement of the European Parliament, and urge everyone who will be involved in this effort to take an inclusive and intersectional feminist approach.
People facing marginalisation and intersectional discrimination - such as racialised women, women with disabilities, sex workers, those of lower socio-economic status, experiencing homelessness, with precarious or irregular migration status, as well as people with diverse sexual orientation, gender identities and expressions and sex characteristics including trans and non-binary people, are among the most at risk of gender-based violence and least protected and supported by existing efforts to prevent and tackle violence and other harm.
Measures that aim to address gender-based violence by focusing on increasing criminalisation, policing and incarceration can make many people and communities more vulnerable, reproducing structural, institutional and interpersonal discrimination and violence.
We urge the European Union decision makers to strive for an ambitious and comprehensive package of legal, policy and financial measures to address gender-based violence and to ensure victims’ rights that:
- Centres the perspectives, concerns and recommendations of those facing multiple and intersecting forms of discrimination.
- Takes an intersectional and rights-based approach, recognising that to achieve gender equality and freedom from gender-based violence and protect fundamental rights for all, we have to address all forms of violence, in particular when linked to gender, gender identity and expression, sex characteristics, sexual orientation, race and ethnicity, age, disability, class, religion and migration status, and that those who experience intersectional discrimination face greater vulnerability to all forms of gender-based violence and domestic violence.
- Addresses structural and historical harms and drivers of gender-based violence, and underlying issues such as poverty and oppression, including those created, enabled and normalised by states.
- Addresses the laws, policies, practices and by-laws that discourage and prevent victims from reporting - such as those that criminalise aspects of sex work including clients, migration and homelessness - or that deny survivors access to essential sexual and reproductive health services, as well as gender-based and intersectional violence perpetrated by police.
- This requires review and reform of such laws, policies, practices and by-laws as well as specific measures to promote inclusion, safety, well-being, remedy and reparations for particularly affected groups, including in the context of the COVID-19 pandemic, where the increased powers of the police and requirement to present personal identity and vaccination documents increase the risk of policing of marginalised groups.
- Prioritises a social, community and survivor-centred approach over further criminalisation, invests in holistic social and support services, including mental health and sexual and reproductive health care, social protection and harm reduction, information provision, community interventions, and mechanisms that enable people to access services, remedies and stability, including residence status, without conditions or requirements to engage with
- law enforcement and the criminal legal system. Ensures that all women as well as people with diverse sexual orientation, gender identities and expressions and sex characteristics fleeing violence are able to access safe, suitable and stable accommodation and other support services without furthering the cycle of abuse.
- Addresses harmful practices such as female genital mutilation; human trafficking; and non-consensual medical interventions such as forced abortion, forced contraception, forced sterilisation, intersex genital mutilation, forced gender reassignment, through this rights-based and intersectional feminist approach.
- Ensures safety and protection for people who do wish to engage with authorities and with the criminal legal system, protection from secondary victimisation, including sanctions, penalties and immigration enforcement, and ensures accessibility of the justice system and procedural accommodation for victims, including people with disabilities.
- Does not fall behind, and rather builds upon, existing European standards, including the Istanbul Convention and the Victims’ Rights Directive.
European/ international networks and organisations
1. Amnesty International
2. ASTRA Network
3. Center for Reproductive Rights
4. Correlation - European Harm Reduction Network
5. Equinox Initiative for Racial Justice (Equinox)
6. EU Civil Society Forum on HIV, TB and Hep
7. Eurasian Harm Reduction Association (EHRA)
8. European AIDS Treatment Group
9. European Anti-Poverty Network
10. European Disability Forum
11. European Federation of Organisations working with Homeless People (FEANTSA)
12. European Liberals for Reform
13. European Network Against Racism (ENAR)
14. European Sex Workers’ Rights Alliance (ESWA)
15. FAAAT think & do tank
16. Fair Trials
17. GAMBE - supporting migrant women
18. Global Alliance Against Traffic in Women
19. Harm Reduction International
20. HIV Justice Network
21. International Planned Parenthood Federation European Network (IPPF EN)
22. La Strada International - European NGO Platform against trafficking in human beings
23. Mama Cash
24. Organisation Intersex International Europe (OII Europe)
25. Red Umbrella Fund
26. Regional Implementation Initiative on Preventing & Combating Human Trafficking
27. Sex Workers' Rights Advocacy Network (SWAN)
28. TAMPEP- European Network for the Promotion of Health and Rights among Migrant Sex Workers
29. TGEU – Transgender Europe
30. The European Region of the International Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Trans, and Intersex Association (ILGA-Europe)
National level networks and organisations
1. Ação Pela Identidade - Portugal
2. ACCEPT Romania – Romania
3. Act Up-Paris - France
4. ADPARE – Romania
5. Alma-TQ - Kazakhstan
6. APOYO POSITIVO - Spain
7. Asociación Por ti mujer - Spain
8. Association for Support of Marginalized Workers STAR-STAR Skopje - North Macedonia
9. Association HERA XXI, MA IPPF – Georgia
10. Association of Hungarian Sex-Workers (SZEXE) - Hungary
11. Association SKUC - Slovenia
12. ASTRA-Anti trafficking action – Serbia
13. Ban Ying e.V. - Germany
14. BASIS-Projekt - Germany
15. Bilitis Resource Center Foundation – Bulgaria
16. Brazilian association of LGBTQIA+ (ABGLT) - Brazil
17. Bundesverband Trans* (BVT*) - Germany
18. CATNPUD - Catalan network of people who use drugs - Spain
19. Çavaria - Belgium (Flanders)
20. Center Women and Modern World - Azerbaijan
21. CESI - Center for Education, Counselling and Research – Croatia
22. CHOICE for Youth and Sexuality - The Netherlands
23. Comitato per i Diritti Civili delle Prostitute – Italy
24. Comite de Apoyo a las Trabajadoras del Sexo (CATS) - Spain
25. Confederación Sindical de Comisiones Obreras – Spain
26. Deutsche Aidshilfe – Germany
27. Deutscher Frauenrat/National Council of German Women's Organizations – Germany
28. Dharma & Martia - The United Kingdom
29. Društvo Legebitra – Slovenia
30. Društvo za pomoč in samopomoč brezdomcev Kralji ulice – Slovenia
31. E-Romnja Association (The Association for Promoting Roma Women's Rights) - Romania
32. Espace P... ASBL – Belgium
33. EUFORIA. Familias Trans-Aliadas – Spain
34. Euphoria Trans – Italy
35. European anti-poverty network Czech Republic - Czech Republic
36. European Association of Institutes for Vocational Training (EVBB) - Germany
37. European Association of Institutes for Vocational Training (EVBB) - Greece
38. Fair Work – The Netherlands
39. Family Planning Association of Moldova - Moldova
40. Feminist Mobilizations - Bulgaria
41. Fondazione LILA Milano - Italian League for Fighting AIDS – Italy
42. Fossil Free Culture - The Netherlands
43. Foundation Solidarity Works – Bulgaria
44. Frauenhauskoordinierung e.V. - Germany
45. Fundação Portuguesa "A Comunidade Contra a Sida" - Portugal
46. Greek Forum of Refugees - Greece
47. Greek Transgender Support Association (GTSA) - Greece
48. Gruppo Trans APS - Italy
49. Health and social development Foundation - Bulgaria
50. Homosexuelle Initiative (HOSI) Wien - Austria
51. HPLGBT - Ukraine
52. Initiative Group LGBT “Revers” - Russia
53. Internationale Vereinigung Intergeschlechtlicher Menschen - OII Germany e. V. - Germany
54. KOK - German NGO Network against Trafficking in Human Beings - Germany
55. LEFÖ - Counselling, Education and Support for Migrant Women - Austria
56. Lesbian and Gay Federation in Germany LSVD - Germany
57. LGBTI+ Gozo - Malta
58. Life Quality Improvement Organisation Flight - Croatia
59. LILA Lega Italiana per la Lotta contro l'AIDS - Italia
60. Lysistrada Fachstelle für Sexarbeit, Olten, CH - Switzerland
61. Metzineres SCCL - Spain
62. MIT (Movimento Identità Trans) - Italy
63. Moluccan Council of Women (MVR) – The Netherlands
64. Movement of Asylum Seekers in Ireland (MASI) - Ireland
65. MozaiQ LGBT Association - Romania
66. Mujeres Supervivientes de violencias de género – Spain
67. Nacional Association of Travestis and Trans person from brazil - Brazil
68. National Ugly Mugs (NUM) – The United Kingdom
69. Nationale Armutskonferenz/ EAPN - Germany
70. NGO AIDSi Tugikeskus - Estonia
71. Österreichischer Frauenring (ÖFR) - Austria
72. PION - Prostituertes interesseorganisasjon i Norge - Norway
73. Positive Voice - Greece
74. Pro-tukipiste ry - Finland
75. RED AMINVI (RED DE APOYO A LA MUJER INMIGRANTE VICTIMA DE LA VIOLENCIA DE GENERO) - Spain
76. Red Edition - Migrant sex worker group, Vienna Austria - Austria
77. Red Umbrella Athens - Greece
78. Red Umbrella Sweden - Sweden
79. Right Side Human Rights Defender NGO - Armenia
80. Rutgers – The Netherlands
81. SeksWerkExpertise – The Netherlands
82. Sex Work Polska – Poland
83. Sex Workers Alliance Ireland - Ireland
84. Sex worker Forum Austria - Austria
85. SHOP (Stichting Hulp en Opvang Prostitutie en Mensenhandel) – The Netherlands
86. Social Policy, Gender Identity and Sexual Orientation Studies Association - Turkey
87. Stichting EqualA Foundation – The Netherlands
88. Stichting Prostitutie Informatie Centrum - The Netherlands
89. STRASS - Syndicat du Travail Sexuel - France
90. TAMPEP Nederland - the Netherlands
91. TransAkcija Institute - Slovenia
92. Transfeminiinit ry - Transfeminina rf - Transfeminines NGO - Finland
93. Transgender Infopunt - Belgium
94. Transvanilla Transgender Association - Hungary
95. TransX - Austrian Transgender Association - Austria
96. Ugly Mugs Ireland - Ireland
97. UMAR - União de Mulheres Alternativa e Resposta - Portugal
98. Vatra Psycho-Social Center – Albania
99. Vote for a Woman Foundation (Stem op een Vrouw) - The Netherlands
100. WO=MEN Dutch Gender Platform - The Netherlands
101. Women's resource center,Armenia NGO - Armenia
102. Zagreb Pride - Croatia
103. И Г Опора ЛЮБВИ - Russia
104. Российский Форум секс-работников - Russia
Allegato: Manifesto for an inclusive and comprehensive EU gender-based violence policy
