Video message – Eliminating Violence against Women: Intersectoral Approaches and Actions
25-26 November 2013, Vienna, Austria
Honourable ministers, distinguished delegates and partners, ladies and gentlemen,
Today we mark the International Day for the Elimination of Violence against Women and use the occasion to express our deep concern and raise awareness about one of the most striking manifestations of discrimination against women and violations of human rights in Europe today.
During the last decades, Europe has come a long way in promoting gender equality and respect for human rights. However, despite these advances, violence against women remains a pervasive problem that is present in each and every country of our Region.
WHO estimates that 1 in 4 women in the WHO European Region will experience gender-based violence at one point in their lives.
The health impact of violence against women is enormous. In the worst cases, women die as a result of the abuse. Other health consequences include injuries, unwanted pregnancies unsafe abortions and an increased risk of sexually transmitted infections. Women who experience violence are far more likely to be depressed, have problems related to alcohol-use, and consider or commit suicide.
Beyond the impact on individuals, violence against women has a severe impact on families, communities and societies, and results in significant economic and social costs for countries.
This must change. We need greater public awareness of the problem, we need stronger collaboration across sectors, we need better data to understand the dimensions and paths of violence, and we need a strong public health response that focuses on prevention and offers appropriate services for the victims of violence. This will require engaging the whole of government and the whole of society for joint approaches and concerted action aligned with the new European policy framework for health and well-being – Health 2020.
The health sector plays a critical role. Health services are likely to be the first professional contact for women suffering from abuse. WHO has recently published clinical and policy guidelines on health-sector responses to violence against women. You will hear more about these during this conference.
But above all we need to challenge social and cultural norms that accept violence against women. Violence against women should not be tolerated in any society. Changing this will require determined efforts to promote gender equality, challenge gender stereotypes and work with women and girls – not only as victims of violence, but also as empowered agents of change.
For this conference, WHO is joining forces with the European Institute for Gender Equality and the City of Vienna. I am very grateful to the City of Vienna for agreeing to host this important meeting and I am impressed by the Austrian government’s political support and presence. The European Commission is one of WHO’s close partners in addressing common public health challenges in the 53 Member States of the WHO European Region.
Working together in the fight to end violence against women is the only way forward for Europe and I am thrilled to learn that this conference will bring together participants from several government sectors, different levels of government, United Nations partners, other international organizations and academia, as well as experts and civil-society actors.
I wish you all a successful conference.
