Commission and High Representative/Vice-President reinforce their commitment to protect women and girls from violence

Ahead of the International Day for the Elimination of Violence against Women on 25 November, the European Commission and the High Representative/Vice-President issued the following statement: “Globally, the rights of women and girls have faced threats, reductions, or complete elimination, significantly impeding progress achieved over decades. The European Union continues to stand up against all forms of violence against women and girls. We maintain our unwavering support for women and girls who have suffered from violence, as victims and survivors, and condemn the use of sexual and gender-based violence as a weapon of war. Violence against women and girls is a scar on all societies. The facts are shocking: in the EU and across the world, one in three women have experienced physical or sexual violence, including abuse, harassment, rape, sexual exploitation, genital mutilation, forced marriage and femicide. Invisible despair is what many women and girls have to live with. Protecting them and ending violence against women means more than striving for gender equality. It means fulfilling basic human rights. It means urgently bringing the perpetrators to justice.”

The full statement is available here.

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