MINSK, 8 December (BelTA) – The problem of violence against women should be taken out from the personal sphere and brought to the public eye, UNFPA Assistant Representative in Belarus Yelena Kasko told BelTA.
A campaign to end violence against women is running in Belarus from 25 November through 10 December. It is aimed at drawing public attention to the problem of violence against women and combating domestic violence.
“Violence against women is a global problem. Today over 600 million women live in countries where domestic violence is not considered a crime. Domestic violence is the most common type of violence against women in Belarus. According to the results of a survey conducted by UNFPA, every third Belarusian woman had suffered some form of violence in her life, be it economic, psychological, physical, or sexual. Unfortunately, more than a quarter of victims do not seek help. We need to break this silence, take the problem of violence against women out from the personal sphere and bring in to the public eye,” Yelena Kasko stressed.
She emphasized the importance of the efforts to fight domestic violence in Belarus. Yelena Kasko referred to the drafting of a special law on prevention of domestic violence and promotion of inter-agency cooperation in this field. She praised the changes in the Belarusian legislation, in particular the revised version of the law “Concerning the principles for the prevention of violations of law” of 16 April 2014.
UNFPA supports Belarus' efforts to establish effective inter-agency cooperation to implement the project of international technical assistance "Developing national capacity to counteract domestic violence in Belarus (2012-2015)". The project is carried out and coordinated by the Belarusian Interior Ministry in cooperation with the United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF) and the International Organization for Migration (IOM). The inter-agency working groups that have been set up in the pilot region (Brest Oblast) comprise representatives of law enforcement agencies, educational institutions, healthcare institutions, local social care centers, and non-governmental associations.
Orange ribbon was chosen as the symbol of the campaign. The campaign is held annually by UN agencies around the world within the framework of the initiative of the UN Secretary General. In Belarus, the orange campaign was launched on 25 November, the International Day for the Elimination of Violence against Women. On 4 December, the building of the National Library of Belarus was illuminated in orange to raise awareness of violence against women and girls. The film When We Leave spotlighting violence against women will be screened at the Pobeda cinema house in Minsk as part of the festival dedicated to Human Rights Day on 8 December.
