Presentation by Frédérique Fastré (European Commission, DG Justice, Gender Equality Unit) on the occasion of the EESC conference on Eradicating domestic violence, 21 Sep 2012, Brussels

1. Commission's initiatives on
violence against women
Frédérique Fastré
DG Justice – Gender Equality Unit

2. Contextual framework
Action Plan Implementing the
Stockholm Programme (April 2010)
Women's Charter (September 2009)
Strategy for Equality between Women
and Men 2010-2015 (September 2010)

3. Definition of gender-based
violence
 "Any act of violence that results in, or is likely to result in,
physical, sexual or psychological harm or suffering to
women, including threats of such acts, coercion or arbitrary
deprivation of liberty, whether occurring in public or in
private life
 Violence against women (VAW) includes domestic
violence, female genital mutilation and other traditional
practices (such as honour killings and forced marriages),
rape, sexual abuse, sexual harassment and intimidation at
work, trafficking in women and forced prostitution"

4. Policies & Initiatives of the European
Commission in regards to VAW
• Fight against sex discrimination
• Empowerment of women
• Enhancing knowledge and understanding of the issue
• Legislative initiatives
• Awareness raising activities
• Exchange of good practices
• EU free phone number on VAW
• VAW as a priority of the Cypriot Presidency
• Funding

5. Enhancing the knowledge and
understanding of VAW in the EU
● Eurobarometer
● European Commission studies on VAW
● EU-wide survey on violence against women by the
Fundamental Rights Agency (FRA)
 Results to be published in 2013
● Data collection by the European Institute for Gender
Equality (EIGE) on the subjects of sexual violence,
domestic violence and female genital mutilation (FGM)

6. Legislative initiatives
European Commission
● Proposal for a Directive establishing minimum standards on the
rights, support and protection of victims of crime (adopted on
18 May 2011)
● Proposal for a Regulation on the mutual recognition of civil law
protection measures (adopted on 18 May 2011)
Council of Europe
● Adoption of the new Council of Europe Convention on
preventing and combating violence against women and
domestic violence (May 2011)

7. Awareness raising activities
Possible EU awareness raising activities on VAW in 2013
●In February 2012, the Commission organized an exchange of
good practices on Member States experiences with awareness-
raising campaigns on VAW, on the basis of UK and Greek
experiences
●The Commission is carrying out an ex-ante evaluation in 2012
to assess the needs for awareness raising activities at EU and
national levels
●Based on the result of this ex-ante evaluation, possible
awareness raising activities in 2013 could be put in place
●Support for the creation of EU free phone number on VAW

8. VAW activities under
forthcoming Cypriot Presidency
 Council conclusions planned to be adopted in Dec. 2013
● As part of the follow-up to the Beijing Platform for Action,
Cyprus will take up the critical area "Violence against Women,"
with a specific focus on victim support.
● A report on the situation in the MS and the review of the
existing EU indicators on domestic violence will be prepared by
EIGE and will be the basis for the Council Conclusions
 An EU gender equality conference on VAW aiming at the
review of progress at the EU level and the exchange of good
practices between the Member States in this field will be
organised by the forthcoming Cypriot Presidency in Nicosia, on 8-
9 November 2012, with the participation of all stakeholders

9. Funding
 Daphne III Funding Programme (until 2013)
● Objectives: financial support to NGOs and local authorities
for the implementation of transnational projects to combat
violence against women, children and young people.
● Focus on prevention of violence, victim support (such as
women's shelters run by NGOs), training of professionals
and awareness-raising
 Commission proposals for two new funding programmes
for the period (2014-2020): Rights and Citizenship
Programme & the Justice Programme

10. Thank you for your attention!
 For more information
Frédérique Fastré
DG Justice - Gender Equality Unit
Tel: +32 2 298 79 33
frederique.fastre@ec.europa.eu
 DG Justice – Gender Equality Website:
http://ec.europa.eu/justice/gender-equality/index_en.htm