16 June 2009 Leeds

16 June 2009 Leeds

OUTLINE • European Women’s Lobby and VAW – individuals – intersectoral – international

• EWL and our position • Nordic Baltic Project model • European Observatory on VAW model

EUROPEAN WOMEN’S LOBBY • Expert NGO to European Union • 27 Member States, 3 candidate countries and 20 European organisations • Equality policy and legislation, decision making, social protection and economic independence, migration….. • Violence against women (VAW) – European Policy Action Centre on Violence Against Women – EPAC VAW

EWL MISSION • To work together to achieve equality between women and men • To promote the empowerment of all women • To combat all forms of violence against women and to ensure women’s human rights are taken into consideration in all EU policy

EWL believes it is necessary to combat all forms of violence against women including, rape, sexual assault, pornography, prostitution, female genital mutilation, sexual harassment and domestic violence

EWL ASSERTS.. • strategies to confront VAW including prostitution and trafficking must be multifaceted addressing on the one hand the needs of women whose human rights are violated while at the same time targeting at the client, the procurer and other people benefiting from the sex industry • the definition of male violence includes all forms of sexual exploitation

NORDIC BALTIC PROJECT and the EU ACTION PLAN • • • • • • • •

Coordination of EU Actions Scoping the problem Preventing trafficking Reducing the demand Investigation and prosecution Protecting and supporting victims Return and integration External relations

EPAC VAW and the EUROPEAN OBSERVATORY • Board • Advisory group • Networking • Cookbook www.epacvaw.org • Observatory – experts from 30 countries • National Observatories on VAW

NATIONAL OBSERVATORIES Ireland – Monica O’Connor - women’s action against pornography - legislation, enforcement - data on the sex industry - women’s stories

WHERE WE STAND – challenging arguments Pornography is • not sexually liberating • not freedom of expression • not fantasy – real women • prostitution • similar in respect to women and children

WHERE WE STAND – issues of concern • Impacts and consequences for women • Racism and migrant women • Links to VAW • Normalisation • Impact

RECOMMENDATIONS • Research • Legislation • Enforcement • Discussion, debate and education • Services • Strategies and actions

SUMMARY • NGO action – EWL • Individual, intersectoral, international • Universal approach legislation research and understanding services

www.womenlobby.org www.epacvaw.org www.5050democracy.eu