Press and Publications

As part of the Regional Campaign on Zero Tolerance for Violence Against Women and Girls, funded by the European Union. Arab Women Organization and EuroMed Feminist Initiative held a National Consultation on Developing Regional Guidelines for Women, Peace and Security Agenda on November 13 in Amman, Jordan under the patronage of H.E. Ms. Basma Ishaqat, Minister of Social Development. The consultation aimed at fostering a common understanding of Women, Peace and Security (WPS) Agenda and developing guidelines for the implementation of the agenda on national and regional levels.

Press conferences were held on 22nd - 23rd of September 2019 in Egypt, Jordan, Lebanon, Morocco, Palestine and Tunisia to officially launch a Media Campaign on Zero Tolerance for Violence Against Women and Girls (VAWG). The Media Campaign is a part of a broader Regional Campaign on Combating Violence against Women and Girls in the Southern Mediterranean Region, initiated in January 2019 by EuroMed Feminist Initiative in consortium with 9 women’s rights organizations from Algeria, Egypt, Jordan, Lebanon, Morocco Palestine and Tunisia, and funded by the European Union.

The Regional Campaign on Zero Tolerance for Violence Against Women and Girls was launched on 2-3 May 2019 in Amman, Jordan in the frame of the project “Combating Violence against Women in the Southern Mediterranean Region”, funded by the EU. The launching conference gathered about 140 participants from 14 countries in the Euro-Med region. The participants represented ministries, institutions, political parties, CSOs and CBOs. They also included members of parliaments, gender, and legal experts and activists, journalists and researchers.

In the frame of the project “Combating Violence against Women in the Southern Mediterranean Region”, funded by the EU, a Regional Experts Roundtable “Promoting Gender Equality Through Education” was held on 18 June 2019 in Beirut, Lebanon. The roundtable gathered 27 legal and gender experts and researchers from Algeria, Egypt, Jordan, Lebanon, Morocco, Palestine, Syria, Tunisia, France, and Sweden, as well as representatives from the ministry of education from Jordan and Lebanon.

Launched in January 1st 2019, EuroMed Feminist Initiative EFI and a consortium of women´s rights organizations in Algeria, Egypt, Jordan Lebanon, Morocco, Palestine, and Tunisia started implementing a three-year regional project “Combating Violence against Women in the Southern Mediterranean Region”, funded by the EU.

In the South Mediterranean region, there is little reliable information about the prevalence and trends in Violence Against Women and Girls (VAWG). However, some studies about the real situation of women the magnitude of the problem and show alarming figures on VAWG. Advancing women’s rights and combating all forms of VAWG are priorities for Euro Mediterranean countries as stated in the 4th Union for the Mediterranean (UfM) Ministerial Declaration on “Strengthening the Role of Women in Society” (Cairo, 2017) and States are responsible for enacting and implementing laws and public policies to combat VAWG and ensure achieving gender equality.

In the South Mediterranean region, there is little reliable information about the prevalence and trends in Violence Against Women and Girls (VAWG). However, some studies about the reality of women illustrate the magnitude of the problem and show alarming figures on VAWG. Advancing women’s rights and combating all forms of VAWG are priorities for Euro Mediterranean countries as stated in the 4th Union for the Mediterranean (UfM) Ministerial Declaration on “Strengthening the Role of Women in Society” (Cairo, 2017) and States are responsible for enacting and implementing laws and public policies to combat VAWG and ensure achieving gender equality.

This brief discusses the critical public services available to women who have been victims of violence. It is based on the findings of a regional research done by the Regional Civil Society Observatory (RCSO) in 2020, which focused on women's perceptions and awareness of victim services. The brief also relies on the 2020 Regional Index on VAWG. It illustrates the state of health, police, and justice services, as well as social services, considering best practices and international accords, particularly the Convention on Preventing and Combating Violence against Women and Domestic Violence (Istanbul Convention). The brief first draws upon the standards for service provision and how essential services should be provided. Additionally, it discusses the state of the services in the countries observed (Algeria, Egypt, Jordan, Lebanon, Morocco, Palestine, Tunisia) and offers policy recommendations to enhance them.

This brief deals with governmental preventive programs that are meant to change the gender stereotypes, people’s awareness towards VAWG and towards blaming perpetrators. For combating Violence against Women and Girls (VAWG), interventions fall along a spectrum of prevention and response. While VAWG response efforts typically focus on securing services, resources, and support for women victims of VAWG, prevention interventions focus on transforming the power dynamics and gender inequality leading to VAWG.

This study brief is part of ongoing efforts to raise awareness of VAWG among stakeholders, including policy makers, law enforcement agencies, civil society organisations (CSOs) and the general public including women themselves. It aims to highlight ways to effectively improve women’s right to a life free of all forms of violence.

The second in the ABC series; and following up on the first handbook “ABC for a Gender Sensitive Constitution”, this ABC aims to bring insight, raise awareness, and stimulate debate on the need to mainstream gender perspective in law making and enhance democracy. It strives to be a tool of change and a trusted reference for lawyers, students, human rights activists, and civil society.