Category: Announcements 
2009-03-31
The committee of government experts responsible for preparing one or more binding legal instruments for preventing and combating domestic violence and other forms of violence against women, protecting and supporting victims of such violence and prosecuting the perpetrators is to meet in Strasbourg for the first time from 6 to 8 April.
The first meeting of the ad hoc Committee on preventing and combating violence against women and domestic violence (CAHVIO) will be devoted to examining its terms of reference and discuss the scope of the future instrument, which should be completed by 2010.
Violence against women, which includes physical, sexual and psychological violence, forced marriages, "honour" crimes and genital mutilation, is a widespread phenomenon, as indicated in Recommendation Rec(2002)5 on the protection of women against violence, which sets out the forms of violence perpetrated within the family or household.
According to an analysis carried out by the Council of Europe in 2006:
· a fifth to a quarter of women are subjected to physical violence at least once in their adult lives, and over a tenth of women are victims of sexual violence involving the use of force;
· women are most likely to be physically or sexually attacked by former partners, which shows that they are not sufficiently protected when they put an end to an abusive relationship;
· the cost to society of domestic violence is enormous. Studies have shown that in certain countries it can be as much as 34 billion euros per year.
The Council of Europe has carried out a wide-ranging awareness campaign at governmental, parliamentary, local and regional level to combat domestic violence against women, which came to an end in 2008. The preparation of a binding legal instrument is an extra step towards greater respect for women's fundamental rights.
The ad hoc committee's second meeting is scheduled for 25 to 27 May 2009.
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