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For the International Women\u2019s Day (8 March), Secretary General Thorbj\u00f8rn Jagland <\/a>made the following statement:<\/p>\n <\/p>\n We are achieving vital goals to end violence against women, but more progress is needed.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Ever since it was signed in Istanbul in 2011, the Council of Europe\u2019s Convention on preventing and combating violence against women and domestic violence (known as \u201cIstanbul convention<\/a>\u201d) has proven to be an increasingly effective and recognised international legal instrument.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n With 33 ratifications so far, the Istanbul Convention requires criminalising and legally sanctioning different forms of violence against women, including domestic violence, stalking, sexual harassment and psychological violence.<\/p>\n Speaking on the occasion of International Women’s Day, the President of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe (PACE) Liliane Maury Pasquier urged strong action against sexism and violence against women, driven by ongoing inequality between women and men.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cWhat the #MeToo movement revealed is just the tip of the iceberg. Alas, that is only one of the many faces of violence against women, ranging from sexism and harassment through to physical violence, beatings, rape and murder,\u201d she pointed out.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cTo truly eradicate the roots of violence against women, we need women and men everywhere to take a strong stand, greater numbers of women in politics, and stronger legal tools,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n “Violence against women is omnipresent; it affects all areas, undermining the very foundations of our democratic societies. That is why I invite you, on this Women’s Day, to mobilise to stop violence against women by declaring:<\/p>\n <\/p>\n #NotInMyHome, #NotInMyCity, #NotInMyOffice, #NotInMyUniversity, #NotInMyHospital, #NotInMyFactory, #NotInMyCountry, #NotinMyClass, #NotInMyNeighbourhood…\u201d<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cIn my own workplaces, the Swiss Parliament and PACE, I have already launched the #NotInMyParliament <\/a>social media initiative which aims to stamp out sexism and violence against women, parliamentarians and parliamentary officials, in every Council of Europe parliament,\u201d the President underlined.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cSexism and violence against women lie on a continuum, and I see a direct line between the under-representation of women in politics, discrimination in public life and harmful stereotypes, on the one hand, and gender-based violence on the other.\u201d<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cI am deeply convinced that more women active in politics would help to create a more favourable environment. When women are no longer the exception in a predominantly male environment, new types of behaviour can emerge, a new \u2018normal\u2019 becomes possible. And ultimately, this allows mindsets to change.\u201d<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Finally, the President underlined the vital importance of legal tools and texts in combating violence against women, urging all countries that have not yet done so to sign and ratify the Council of Europe\u2019s Istanbul Convention<\/a>.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/archive.womennet.amwp-content\/uploads\/2019\/03\/notinmyparliament.jpg\")
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