An Assessment of Council of Europe member states’ compliance with a 2002 Council of Europe Resolution to address violence against women has been released by the Directorate General of Human Rights. The report touches on the prevalence of violence against women in member states as well as its costs, economically as well as socially. It moves on to discuss progress that has been made across Council of Europe member states in the legal, civil service, and educational realms with regard to combating violence against women. It reviews domestic measures to protect victims, noting a deficit of services for victims of rape throughout member states. Inefficient geographic distribution of services and a lack of outreach initiatives debilitate many programs in the region. The report also calls attention to the fact that the importance of perpetrator rehabilitation is often ignored. With regard to legislation, the report notes that several countries are relying on general provisions of criminal law to combat domestic violence and calls on them to adopt targeted policies. It compares legal definitions of rape and sexual assault, applauding those countries that have broadened legal rhetoric and encompassed more minor or less conventional forms of sexual abuse within criminal codes.
The report assesses states’ educational measures, calling on them to take a more active role in raising awareness among the general population and in providing training for public health officials, police, and other sectors of society that deal with violence against women. The report concludes with comparative results from the member state survey.
Compiled from: Carol Hagemann-White, "Combating Violence Against Women: Stocktaking Survey on the Measures and Actions Taken in Council of Europe Member States," Directorate General of Human Rights, 2006. Accessed 13 July 2006.