I am so pleased to be with you at the beginning of this important conference. I believe that this conference is creating a space for international academics, specialists, practitioners, and civil society activists to share your experiences, expertise, and good practices.
It is my pleasure to welcome you to Malta, at the heart of the Euro-Mediterranean Region, as one united community.
Malta is a most appropriate place for such a conference, because we have not only adopted the Istanbul Convention, but also, during Malta’s Presidency of the Council of the EU, in 2017, my government put the issue of violence against women high on the EU agenda.
This directly led to the European Union’s accession to the Istanbul Convention, during the Maltese Presidency.
Let me take this opportunity to urge all those Member States who have not yet ratified this important Convention to incorporate it into their national laws and practices.
On the other hand, the University of Malta, through Dr Marceline Naudi’s initiative, together with a number of experts from the region, has set up the European Observatory on Femicide, which will provide essential data about the most lethal forms of violence against women in Europe.
However, even though we have so many legal instruments in place, and so many other practical initiatives that are being taken up, unfortunately, the scourge of violence against women is still unacceptably prevalent in our societies.
Before delving deeper into my opening remarks, let me thank Stephanie Futter-Orel, Executive Manager of Women Against Violence Europe, and our own Dr Marceline Naudi, Senior Lecturer at the University of Malta, for their efforts to facilitate this 20th WAVE Conference.
Please also permit me to acknowledge the presence of our Maltese organisations, who work so hard in the sector, to promote women’s rights, gender equality, provide empowerment and refuge for many survivors and their families.
I am confident that this event will give further visibility, across the Euro-Mediterranean Region, of the needs of women, who are experiencing violence and injustice.
Specialist services for women and their children have a powerful, empowering, and unique role to play, to end violence against women within our communities and our societies.
As you all know, research shows us that with the support of specialist services, women and their children are more able to overcome their experiences of violence.
To truly and sustainably safeguard the rights of women, I believe that all of our efforts must focus on ending gender-based violence, while also focusing on promoting, empowering, and educating for gender equality in our societies.
In this context, a rights-based approach must be adopted at all times, to ensure that we will not only address the trauma of violence, but even more so, to address the root causes of gender inequality.
To ensure that universal human rights are safeguarded, for all, our governments must work alongside civil society activists and organisations, to provide effective and appropriate services.
Guidelines from the UN Women ‘Handbook for National Action Plans on Violence against Women’ makes this very clear.
UN Women declares that while the State should play an important role in establishing and funding services for women, however, the State is not always the most appropriate body to run these services.
UN Women also emphasises that specialist crisis services, set up to respond to victims and survivors, should be run by independent and experienced women’s non-governmental organisations.
I would like to emphasise this statement, by UN Women, as I am so convinced that the contributions of civil society activists and organisations are so essential, at every level of implementation.
I believe that only an enabled network of women’s organisations can provide the best safeguards for women.
Such a network would provide the necessary expertise and gender-specific support, which must be based on the principles of feminism and social justice.
We know that sometimes the word feminism causes discomfort, to some people in our societies.
As I was preparing for these introductory remarks, I came across the inspiring words of Dr Cheris Kramarae, where she stated that “feminism is the radical notion that women are human beings.”
Such a notion is indeed radical, in thought.
It touches the core of gender-based violence, inequalities and patriarchal oppressions, because we still live in a world that is overwhelmingly governed, legislated, policed, and pre-determined by men.
Unfortunately, women’s perspectives are many a time, excluded in our societies.
Therefore, as we all know, gender equality is not being adequately safeguarded.
Legislation is important, however, we cannot take our legislation for granted. It must be part of a larger process, which includes behavioural, social, and cultural change.
A feminist culture within our societies, embedded in social justice and human rights, definitely will ensure that all forms of violence against women are understood in the proper context, of unjust social dynamics and power imbalances.
Gender-based violence is the effect of gender imbalances and injustices and is as a result of patriarchal oppression, where male dominance and privilege are not only normalised, but also enforced within our societies.
The shocking data, when it comes to the oppression of women and violence against women, is not new to any of us.
However such date, is a stark indication of just how much further we need to endeavour, to make the world a safer, more respectful, and more dignified place for women and girls.
As we all know, violence against women and girls is one of the most prevalent and widespread violations of human rights in the world.
It is mind-boggling that, on the 70th Anniversary of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights which will be observed this year, global estimates, published by the World Health Organisation, are still reporting that 1 in 3 women have experienced either physical and/or sexual violence from an intimate partner, or sexual violence from a man they did not know, in their lifetime.
Another indicator is the estimated 38% of murdered women, globally, who are killed by a male intimate partner.
Let me take this opportunity to say that we also need more comprehensive data about femicide, in all of our countries.
Other situations that we must take into consideration is the fact that we are still living in a world of conflict, post-conflict, and displacement.
These situations, which are escalating in so many parts of the world, lead to increases in pre-existing violence, and the emergence of new forms of violence against women, such as rape as a weapon of war.
Another striking example of patriarchal oppressions which we have seen, in a recent and highly publicised case internationally, is the testimony of a woman who survived an attempted rape, and was denigrated, ignored, mocked, and downgraded.
Unfortunately, we have seen, so many a time, the repercussions on our girls and young women, who feel powerless or under threat, due to negative media influences and the lack of critical awareness, about the cultural and social inequalities that exist, between women and men.
These are the reasons that make women’s organisations even more essential, in the fight to eliminate prejudice and violence against women.
The United Nations Special Rapporteur on Violence against Women recognises women’s organisations as “the single most important factor, to drive policy development that prevents and responds to violence against women and their children.”
I would like to be very clear, that even though I believe that the work of specialist women’s organisations is crucial, they need to be enabled and supported by all of the authorities working in this sector.
We need holistic and truly effective service provision, which is built upon a gender-sensitive understanding of violence.
This is also declared in the United Nations’ Declaration on the Elimination of Violence Against Women, which says that violence against women is “a cause and a consequence of gender inequality … and services, should be delivered based on this understanding.”
Therefore, as you discuss and develop new strategies for the benefit of the survivors of gender-based violence, let me urge you to keep your thoughts focused on a woman-centred, trauma-based, and empowering approach.
Service providers in the sector of gender-based violence must do their utmost to equally highlight intersectional vulnerabilities, arising from age, ethnicity, sexual orientation, gender identity, or disability.
We must bring women affected by violence to the table, because women are the experts on their own healing. They must be empowered, as valuable contributors in their recovery from violence and trauma.
I also believe that we must not only recognise the voices of women as the experts in this area, but also the voices of their children.
I would like to urge our governments to continue investing in specialist services for women and their families, by working more closely with women’s organisations, and educating all those who, in some way or another, have an input in the services being provided.
Definitely, in order to create a sustainable and far-reaching transformation within our societies, we must work together.
The women’s organisations in our countries must collaborate, and create stronger partnerships on a regional and international level.
On concluding, I would like to remind you of the words of Former US Secretary of State, Madeleine Albright, who said that “there is a special place in hell for women who don’t help other women!”
All of us women must be prepared to support one another, in all the ways that we can. This is not a fight that we can win single-handedly.
As international academics, specialists, practitioners, and civil society activists, working to eradicate the scourge of gender-based violence, you are the best examples of the solidarity, passion, and courage, which should define us, as women in the twenty-first century.
Thank you for your attention.