Local view for "http://purl.org/linkedpolitics/eu/plenary/2011-04-04-Speech-1-118-000"
| Predicate | Value (sorted: default) |
|---|---|
| rdf:type | |
| dcterms:Date | |
| dcterms:Is Part Of | |
| dcterms:Language | |
| lpv:document identification number |
"en.20110404.17.1-118-000"2
|
| lpv:hasSubsequent | |
| lpv:speaker | |
| lpv:spokenAs | |
| lpv:translated text |
"Mr President, I would like to start by thanking the shadow rapporteurs and my colleagues in the Committee on Women’s Rights and Gender Equality for their strong commitment to fighting violence against women.
Ahead of the vote tomorrow, and in order to initiate the debate, I could have mentioned the number of women affected and how many women have been murdered as a result of this deadly violence. I am not going to do that, but I will try to convey a few images of this violence ahead of the vote, so that all Members know that they have an opportunity to fight this violence right now by voting yes to the report tomorrow.
Imagine a mother sitting with her children and reading them a good-night story. Suddenly, the door is jerked open and her husband, the children’s father, is standing in the doorway. Both she and the children know immediately what is going to happen. The children draw the covers over their heads, putting their fingers in their ears and closing their eyes, trying to shut out what they know will happen. They hear their father shouting, they hear him kicking and striking their mother and they hear their mother’s groans. That is one picture of this violence.
Here is another picture. A woman who has lived for a number of years with threats, insults and abuse finally decides to leave the relationship to build a new life for herself and her children. She flees and is lucky to find sheltered accommodation. After a few days, she leaves her children at the day nursery. The man is waiting outside and stabs the woman with a knife – she dies. Yet another victim of the deadly violence that affects women. This is a type of violence that is inflicted on women precisely because we are women. The lethal violence against women illustrated by that last image occurs when the woman has finally decided to leave the relationship. The most dangerous thing a woman can do is to ask for a divorce from a man who believes that he owns her. She is in a very dangerous situation when the man realises that he is about to lose control and power over her.
Here are some more images. A young girl is on her way home after a trip to the cinema. She says goodbye to her friend and calls out ‘See you tomorrow’. She still has a little way to go. She hears heavy steps behind her, but only has time to register the fact that someone is following her. She is attacked and raped. She survives, but has to live with this for the rest of her life.
Other problems that we have to face include genital mutilation.
In its action plan implementing the Stockholm Programme, the Commission stated that during the period 2011-2012 it will issue a communication on this violence and that the communication is to be followed up by an EU action plan. I welcome this and look forward to this action plan.
As long as women are affected by gender-based violence – just because we are women – we will not be able to call our society an equal society. Women’s lives and their various life choices are restricted by this violence and by the awareness of how widespread it is in society.
Women are victims of gender-based violence, but I would also like to finish by saying that sometimes, we have to stop viewing these women simply as victims. These are often strong women who, with well-functioning social support, manage to build a good life for themselves and for their children. It is now up to us in the European Parliament to show that we support these women."@en1
|
| lpv:videoURI |
Named graphs describing this resource:
The resource appears as object in 2 triples