Activities of Kostadinka KUNEVA related to 2016/0062(NLE)
Plenary speeches (1)
EU accession to the Council of Europe Convention on preventing and combating violence against women and domestic violence (debate) EL
Shadow reports (1)
INTERIM REPORT on the proposal for a Council decision on the conclusion, by the European Union, of the Council of Europe Convention on preventing and combating violence against women and domestic violence PDF (622 KB) DOC (76 KB)
Amendments (43)
Amendment 13 #
Motion for a resolution
Citation 7
Citation 7
– having regard to the provisions of the UN legal instruments in the sphere of human rights, in particular those concerning women’s rights, such as the UN Charter, the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, the International Covenants on Civil and Political Rights and on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights, the Convention for the Suppression of the Traffic in Persons and of the Exploitation of the Prostitution of Others, the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women (CEDAW) and its Optional Protocol, the Convention against Torture and Other Cruel, Inhuman or Degrading Treatment or Punishment, the 1951 Convention relating to the Status of Refugees and the principle of non-refoulement, the Convention on the Rights of the Child and the United Nations Convention on the rights of persons with disabilities,;
Amendment 16 #
Motion for a resolution
Citation 7 a (new)
Citation 7 a (new)
– having regard to the UN Committee on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities General Comment on Article 6: Women and Girls with Disabilities (adopted 26 August 2016),
Amendment 17 #
Motion for a resolution
Citation 7 b (new)
Citation 7 b (new)
– having regard to the 2015 Concluding Observations of the United Nations Committee on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities to the EU calling on the EU to accede to the Istanbul Convention as a way to protect women and girls with disabilities from violence.
Amendment 26 #
Motion for a resolution
Citation 11 a (new)
Citation 11 a (new)
– having regards to its resolution of 5 April 2011 on priorities and outline of a new EU policy framework to fight violence against women,
Amendment 46 #
Motion for a resolution
Citation 20 a (new)
Citation 20 a (new)
– having regard to Directive 2006/54/EC on the implementation of the principle of equal opportunities and equal treatment of men and women in matters of employment and occupation (recast) and Directive 2004/113/EC on implementing the principle of equal treatment between men and women in the access to and supply of goods and services, which provide for a definition of and condemn harassment and sexual harassment.
Amendment 61 #
Motion for a resolution
Citation 25 a (new)
Citation 25 a (new)
– having regard to the European Parliament Policy Department for Citizens’ Rights and Constitutional Affairs study “Knowledge and Know- How: The Role of Self-Defence in the Prevention of Violence against Women”, in particular in relation to the contribution of self-defence training to implementing Art. 12 of the Istanbul Convention,
Amendment 74 #
Motion for a resolution
Recital A a (new)
Recital A a (new)
Aa. whereas violence against women is a manifestation of the historically unequal power relations between men and women and adversely affects not only women but society as a whole;
Amendment 83 #
Motion for a resolution
Recital B
Recital B
B. whereas the EU must take all necessary measures to promote and protect the right of women and girls to live free from violence in both the public and the private spheres;
Amendment 95 #
Motion for a resolution
Recital C
Recital C
C. whereas violence against women and gender-based violence are widespread in the EU; whereas further measures are needed to encourage women victims of violence to report and of the most frequent and constantly violation of human rights in the EU; whereas furtheir experiences and seek assistance,measures are needed to and to ensure that they receive appropriate support accordingly to their needs and are informed aboutphysiological and medical support in line with their rightneeds;
Amendment 105 #
Motion for a resolution
Recital C a (new)
Recital C a (new)
Ca. whereas women and girls must be thoroughly informed about their rights and the supportive mechanisms in place so that they can seek assistance and report their experiences in order for the perpetrators to be prosecuted;
Amendment 106 #
Motion for a resolution
Recital C b (new)
Recital C b (new)
Cb. whereas women victims of violence in the EU are unequally protected against male violence, in terms of information on, access to and provision of shelters, support services and rights, protection or barring orders, helplines, rape crisis centres, etc.;
Amendment 107 #
Motion for a resolution
Recital C c (new)
Recital C c (new)
Cc. whereas women and girls with disabilities are not a homogenous group; they include women with multiple disabilities, refugee, migrant, asylum- seeking and internally displaced and indigenous women, women with albinism, women in detention (hospitals, residential institutions, juvenile or correctional facilities and prisons), women living in poverty, from different in terms of ethnicity, race and religion backgrounds, lesbian, bisexual and transgender women, as well as intersex persons; whereas the diversity of women with disabilities includes different types of impairments, such as physical, psychosocial, intellectual or sensory conditions that may or may not come with functional limitations;
Amendment 108 #
Motion for a resolution
Recital C d (new)
Recital C d (new)
Cd. whereas UNCRPD Article 6, recognises that women with disabilities are subject to multiple discrimination and requires that States parties take measures to ensure the full and equal enjoyment by women with disabilities of all human rights and fundamental freedoms;
Amendment 115 #
Motion for a resolution
Recital D
Recital D
D. whereas violence against women is too often considered as a private issue and too easily tolerated; whereas in fact it constitutes a structural violation of fundamental rights and a serious crime that must be punished as such; whereas impunity must end in order to ensure that the perpetrators do not remain unpunished and that women and girls have proper support and recognition by the judicial system so that they can break the vicious circle of silence and, loneliness and marginalisation for women and girls who have been the victims of violence;
Amendment 123 #
Motion for a resolution
Recital D a (new)
Recital D a (new)
Da. whereas violence against women involves victims and perpetrators of all ages, educational backgrounds, incomes and social positions and is linked to the unequal distribution of power and financial resources between women and men, to sexism and gender stereotypical ideas of our societies, that have led to domination over and discrimination against women by men and to the prevention of women’s full advancement;
Amendment 124 #
Motion for a resolution
Recital D b (new)
Recital D b (new)
Db. whereas extreme poverty increases the risk of violence and other forms of exploitation that hamper the full participation of women in all areas of life and the achievement of gender equality;
Amendment 125 #
Motion for a resolution
Recital D c (new)
Recital D c (new)
Dc. whereas certain groups of the population such as women and girls with migrant background, undocumented migrant women, refugee women and asylum seekers, women and girls with disabilities, lesbian, transgender women and girls, intersex women and girls, Roma women and girls, young women and elderly women, homeless women, women of different religion and race face greater risk of violence due to motives fuelled by sexism coupled with racism, xenophobia, homophobia, transphobia and intersexphobia as well as discrimination based on age, disability, ethnicity or religion.; whereas women in Europe face intersecting and multiple forms of discrimination that prevents them from accessing justice and support and protection services, and from enjoying their fundamental rights;
Amendment 130 #
Motion for a resolution
Recital E
Recital E
E. whereas exposure to physical, sexual or psychological violence and abuse has a severe impact on victims and may result in physical, sexual, emotional or psychological harm, or economic loss, while having an impact on their families and relatives, and society as a whole;
Amendment 153 #
Motion for a resolution
Recital F
Recital F
F. whereas only a mix of policies combining legislative and non-legislative measures including infrastructural, legal, judicial, cultural, educational, social, health actions can significantly reduce violence against women and gender-based violence and its consequences; whereas cooperation with civil society, and women´s organisations in particular, is also important, as well as, the protection and full enjoyment of social and economic rights , housing and equal participation of women in all areas of society can significantly reduce violence against women and gender-based violence and its consequences;
Amendment 154 #
Motion for a resolution
Recital F a (new)
Recital F a (new)
Fa. whereas civil society, in particular, NGOs, women’s associations and where appropriate, other public and private voluntary organisations concerned with the issue of violence against women, play an important role in the effort to combat all forms of violence against women;
Amendment 163 #
Motion for a resolution
Recital G
Recital G
G. whereas the Istanbul Convention stresses the importance of changing mentalities and attitudes to break the continuity of gender-based violence; whereas education on equality between women and men, on non-stereotyped gender roles and, on the respect for personal integrity, is therefore required in this regard; whereas, in line with Art. 12 of the Istanbul Convention, gender-sensitive assertiveness and self-defence training has been identified as an efficient tool for reducing victimisation and its negative impacts, challenging gender stereotypes and empowering women and girls;
Amendment 169 #
Motion for a resolution
Recital G a (new)
Recital G a (new)
Ga. whereas in line with article 12 of the Istanbul Convention, gender sensitive assertiveness and self-defence training has been identified as an efficient tool for reducing victimisation and its negative impacts challenging gender stereotypes and empowering women and girls;
Amendment 178 #
Motion for a resolution
Recital J
Recital J
J. whereas the ratification of the Convention is meaningless without proper enforcement and, effective implementation and allocation of adequate financial and human resources;
Amendment 183 #
Motion for a resolution
Recital J a (new)
Recital J a (new)
Ja. whereas extreme poverty increases the risk of violence and other forms of exploitation that hamper the full participation of women and girls in all areas of life and the achievement of gender equality;
Amendment 189 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 1
Paragraph 1
1. Welcomes the fact that 4 March 2016 the Commission proposed the EU’s accession to the Istanbul Convention - the first legally binding instrument on preventing and combating violence against women and domestic violence at international level;
Amendment 190 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 1 a (new)
Paragraph 1 a (new)
1a. Emphasises that the Istanbul Convention should place male violence against women as a core focus of the Convention, while also addressing all gender-based violence by tackling violence motivated by an intersection of various grounds, including sexual orientation, gender identity and gender expression; underlines the importance of strategic measures to proactively combat gender stereotypes and counter patterns of patriarchy, racism, sexism, hate incidents, homophobia and transphobia, as well as gender normativity and heteronormativity;
Amendment 200 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 2
Paragraph 2
2. Deplores the fact that women and girls are often exposed to domestic violence, sexual harassment, rape, forced marriage and other forms ofpsychological and physical violence, stalking, sexual harassment, sexual violence, rape, prostitution, forced marriage, female genital mutilation, forced sterilisation, forced continuation of pregnancy to term and forced abortion and other forms of sexual and reproductive coercion and violence, which constitute a serious violation of the human rights and dignity of women and girls;
Amendment 203 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 2 a (new)
Paragraph 2 a (new)
2a. Stresses that the denial of sexual and reproductive health and rights services, including safe and legal abortion, amounts to a grave breach of fundamental human rights and an extreme form of violence against women and girls; underlines that women and girls must have control over their bodies and sexualities, calls on all the Member States to guarantee comprehensive sexuality education, ready access for women to family planning and the full range of reproductive and sexual health services, including modern contraception and safe and legal abortion;
Amendment 212 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 3
Paragraph 3
3. Stresses that the Istanbul Convention followoffers a holistic approach, comprehensive and coordinated approach placing the rights of the victim at the epicentre by addressing the issue of violence against women and girls and, gender- based and domestic violence from a wide range of perspectives, such as the prevention of violence, the fight against discrimination, criminal law measures to combat impunity, victim protection and support, the protection of children, the protection of women asylum seekers and refugees, and better data collection;
Amendment 213 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 3 a (new)
Paragraph 3 a (new)
3a. Highlights that the Istanbul Convention provides a sound basis for changing the social structures that create, legitimate and perpetuate violence against women, and provides tools for the introduction of measures to that effect; Highlights that the Convention addresses prevention, protection and prosecution simultaneously (three tiered approach) and a comprehensive and co-ordinated approach, stemming from the principle of due diligence which establishes the positive obligation for States to respond effectively to all acts of violence (Article 5 of the Convention;
Amendment 217 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 4
Paragraph 4
4. Emphasises that the EU accession will provide a coherent European legal framework to prevent and combat violence against women and gender-based violence and to protect and support victims in the EU’s internal and external policies; emphasises that the EU accession will also bring about better monitoring, interpretation and implementation of EU laws, programmes and funds relevant to the Istanbul Convention as well as betterimproved collection of comparable disaggregated data at EU level;
Amendment 226 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 5 – point b
Paragraph 5 – point b
(b) To askurge the Member States to swiftly ratify and implement the Istanbul Convention;
Amendment 242 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 5 – point f
Paragraph 5 – point f
(f) To make sure that the Member States enforce the Istanbul Convention and allocate adequate financial and human resources to empower women and girls, to preventing and combating violence against women and gender-based violence and to the protection of victims;
Amendment 244 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 5 – point f a (new)
Paragraph 5 – point f a (new)
(fa) Appoint an EU Coordinator to end violence against women and girls to act as representative of the EU to the Committee of the parties at the Council of Europe once the Istanbul Convention is ratified by the EU;
Amendment 245 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 5 – point f b (new)
Paragraph 5 – point f b (new)
(fb) Urge the Commission to come forward with a holistic EU Strategy on combating violence against women and girls and gender-based violence, a Strategy that includes a comprehensive plan to combat all forms of gender inequalities and integrate all efforts to eradicate violence against women and girls;
Amendment 246 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 5 – point f c (new)
Paragraph 5 – point f c (new)
(fc) Urge the Commission to come forward with a holistic EU Strategy on combating violence against women and girls and gender-based violence, a Strategy that includes a comprehensive plan to combat all forms of gender inequalities and integrate all efforts to eradicate violence against women and girls;
Amendment 259 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 5 – point h
Paragraph 5 – point h
(h) To ensure appropriate training, guidelines and protocols for all the professionals dealing with the victims of all acts of violence covered by the scope of the Convention to avoid discrimination or re-victimisation during judicial and police, police and medical treatment proceedings;
Amendment 277 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 5 – point j
Paragraph 5 – point j
(j) To actively promote a change in attitudes and behaviours as well as, harmful to women cultural beliefs and practices, and combat gender stereotypes and sexism, making concerted efforts to encourage everyone, including men and boys, to play an active part in preventing all forms of violence;
Amendment 289 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 5 – point k
Paragraph 5 – point k
(k) To implement the provisions of the Istanbul Convention on migration and asylum, taking into account the fact that migrant women, whether properly documented or not, and women asylum- seekers are particularly vulnerable to gender-based violence and that gender based violence may beis recognised as a form of persecution in the terms of the 1951 Refugee Convention and CEDAW general recommendation 32 on Refugee Women; Ensure that Member States respect a gender-sensitive approach in all asylum and reception procedures and respect the principle of non-refoulement;
Amendment 296 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 5 – point l
Paragraph 5 – point l
(l) To improve and promote better the collection of relevant disaggregated datacomparable data, including data of gender, age, perpetrator, relationship between victim(s) and perpetrator(s), on cases of violence of all kinds covered by the Istanbul Convention, in cooperation with the EIGE Institute, in order to build a common methodology to compare data bases and analysis, ensuring a better understanding of the problem, and to raise awareness, assess and improve Member States’ action to prevent and combat violence against women.
Amendment 298 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 5 – point l a (new)
Paragraph 5 – point l a (new)
(la) To improve and promote the provision of empowering, gender-sensitive assertiveness and self-defence training for all women and girls throughout the European Union as an effective means of combating gender stereotypes and of preventing gender-based violence, in line with Art. 12 of the Istanbul Convention;
Amendment 299 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 5 – point l a (new)
Paragraph 5 – point l a (new)
(la) Ensure that Istanbul Convention Article 3, paragraph (f) definition of “woman” that includes girls under 18, is mainstreamed without prejudices to girls, through all child policies and programmes and applied in all data collection and monitoring on violence against women.
Amendment 300 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 5 – point l b (new)
Paragraph 5 – point l b (new)
(lb) Reasserts its call to the Commission for a comprehensive EU strategy on preventing and combating gender-based violence, which should contain a binding legislative act and a sufficient budget, enabling to take effective actions to eradicate violence against women and girls;