UN
Women and the European Union have launched a new programme that will
concentrate on eradicating violence against women in Turkey and the Western
Balkans
In
order to eradicate violence and discrimination against women in the six Western
Balkan nations of Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Kosovo*, the former Yugoslav
Republic of Macedonia, Montenegro, Serbia, and Turkey, the European Union (EU)
and UN Women today launched a three-year regional initiative. The programme
"Implementing Norms, Changing Minds" is an additional initiative to
empower and defend the rights of women and girls within the framework of the EU
Year to End Violence Against Women and the EU-UN Women cooperation.
The
event, which was held on the grounds of the Estonian Presidency of the Council
of the EU, brought together representatives from the Council of Europe,
European Institute for Gender Equality, Organization for Security and
Cooperation in Europe, governments and civil society from Turkey, the Western
Balkans, and the EU and UN to discuss how to end violence and discrimination
against women and girls.
"The
European Commission is glad to collaborate with UN Women to increase efforts to
end violence against women in Turkey and the Western Balkans during the
European Union's year to end violence against women. Genoveva Ruiz Calavera,
Director for the Western Balkans at the Directorate-General for European
Neighbourhood Policy and Enlargement Negotiations of the European Commission,
stated that together, we would support national governments and civil society
in accelerating protection, prevention, and responses to violence against
women.
"Our
anchor for this significant undertaking is the Council of Europe Convention on
preventing and combatting violence against women and domestic abuse (Istanbul
Convention). As stated by Alia El-Yassir, UN Women's interim Regional Director
for Europe and Central Asia, "Our goal is to engage with governments and
civil society in the region to implement legislation and policies in full accordance
with the Convention."
The
five-million-euro, three-year EU-UN Women programme builds on the momentum
started by the Istanbul Convention. It is funded by the European Commission.