Women for a Human and Non-Violent Society, Women’s Committee of the European Parliament.

I would like to warmly welcome you to today’s event organized by the Committee on Women’s Rights and Gender Equality in celebration of International Women’s Day. The theme we have chosen is “Women for a Human and Non-Violent Society,” and it is primarily dedicated to the women who suffer under undemocratic and fundamentalist regimes.

Very recently, we witnessed the tragedy of Safiya, the Nigerian woman who was sentenced to death by stoning by the Islamic Court of Sokoto for giving birth to a child out of wedlock. This was followed by the case of Sudanese Abok Alfa Akok. These two cases have once again brought to the forefront the issue of violations of the fundamental freedoms and rights of women everywhere. Therefore, the issue of violence against women is the central theme of the discussions planned for March 8th.

I would like to emphasize that violations of women’s human rights do not recognize geographical borders; they affect all countries of the world, including the European Union. These violations are not limited to an ethnic or racial group, nor to a particular culture, religion, or economic, social, or political system.

The issue is vast, and of course, it is not possible to examine all its aspects today. Our invited speakers will present cases of violence from different parts of the world.

From my side, I would like to highlight some serious forms of violations that have occupied our Committee in recent years. Firstly, there are three forms of violence that have particularly concerned the Spanish Presidency, and for which the Minister of Employment and Social Affairs of Spain, Mr. Aparicio Perez, will speak. They are:

· Domestic violence
· Sexual violence
· Violence in the workplace

The work of the Spanish Presidency on these issues has been truly exceptional. Regarding violence in the workplace, I would like to refer to the directive under revision for Equal Treatment in Employment. If approved, we will have legislation for the first time to combat sexual harassment at work. Preventive measures, effective judicial protection, and sanctions are some of the priorities our Committee is focusing on during the ongoing negotiation process.

Also:
· The sexual exploitation of women.
The modern form of slavery is a major concern for our Committee, as approximately 500,000 women are trafficked annually in the European Union.
• Genital mutilation is a barbaric “tradition” and constitutes a clear violation of the integrity and dignity of women. There are valid fears that this horrific practice has also been introduced in Europe along with migration flows.
• Honor crimes are an extreme example of how men in certain Islamic communities attempt to control the lives of women. We recently had such a murder in Sweden. Our Committee is aware of the difficulties created, especially for women, by the variety of laws and different traditions that coexist in Europe today, and for this reason, we advocate for the social inclusion of women belonging to minorities and the respect for their fundamental rights.
• Death penalty by stoning or flogging. Our committee recently wrote to the President of Nigeria and mobilized to prevent the execution of the sentence for Safiya Husseini Tungar Dudu. At least for the time being, we succeeded.
• Rape and other forms of torture during armed conflicts.

I would like to refer to the struggle our Committee has made to highlight the issue of apartheid imposed on women by the Taliban regime. As early as 1999, the European Parliament promoted a related campaign titled “A Flower for the Woman of Kabul,” and in a related resolution in December 2002, it called for dedicating this year’s International Women’s Day to the Women of Afghanistan. This proposal is expressed in a joint resolution of the Committee I chair and the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe.

The violations of women’s rights and the violence inflicted upon them are primarily due to the unequal distribution of power between men and women. Therefore, the unequal participation and representation of the two genders in democratic institutions and decision-making centers is a significant concern for our Committee.

Recently, we were very troubled by the composition of the Constituent Assembly that has just begun its work. In a letter I sent to Mr. Giscard d’Estaing, I expressed our dissatisfaction with the unbalanced composition, as we believe that the equality of men and women is a prerequisite for building a democratic, humane, and non-violent society.