Parliaments take action on violence against women 

Women and men members of Arab parliaments met at UN House in Beirut from 27 to 29 July 2010 to discuss how to enhance the implementation of the Convention on the Elimination of Discrimination against Women (CEDAW) and end violence against women in the Arab world. The event was organized with the support of the IPU, the Lebanese Parliament, UN-ESCWA and UNDP.

Participants identified some of the parliamentary actions required to enhance implementation in the region:

• withdrawing reservations to the CEDAW,
• adopting special temporary measures,
• banishing stereotypes and changing mentality,
• and removing discriminatory provisions from legislation.

Legislating on violence against women was seen as one of the most pressing priorities as only one country in the region has passed a law on it. Of particular interest was the issue of violence against women in situations of conflict that affects the entire region. Legislation should criminalize acts of violence against women in all settings and include measures to prevent violence, assist victims and rehabilitate perpetrators. It should call for national action plans, training and sensitization and provide for budget allocations. To help raise awareness of violence against women and trigger appropriate legislative responses, the participants agreed to launch a regional parliamentary campaign as a component of the IPU’s parliamentary campaign Parliaments take action on violence against women. The regional meeting was followed by a day of discussions with Lebanese parliamentarians and civil society representatives on the bill on domestic violence currently before the Lebanese Parliament.