18/12/2021
The formulation process of the first Ibero-American Program/Initiative to prevent and eliminate violence against women concludes
11 Ibero-American countries participated in the process, led by SEGIB, that consisted in 6 virtual work sessions.
On Thursday, 21st of January, the formulation process of what aspires to be the first Program/Initiative to prevent and eliminate violence against women in Ibero-America concluded.
The initiative originated in the XXVI Ibero-American Summit of La Antigua (2018), Guatemala, in which the Heads of State and Government pledged to continue their efforts to prevent, eliminate and sanction violence against women in all of its forms, stating a zero tolerance policy towards violence against women as an essential pilar for the achievement of sustainable development in their countries.
In response to this commitment, in 2020, SEGIB coordinated 6 virtual working sessions on gender-based violence, in which representatives of foreign ministries and national entities responsible for coordinating violence against women responses from 11 Ibero-American countries participated, to share experiences and good practices and discuss the relevance of establishing a Programme/Initiative in this field.
Throughout the consultation process, participating countries agreed on the importance and necessity to promote a programme/initiative on this issue, highlighting its potential to become an unprecedented platform to exchange experiences and knowledge on the elimination of violence against women in Ibero-America.
The formulation document, which has developed from inputs collected in the working sessions, proposes to work through a series of strategic objectives identified as priority for the region:
Promote the development and strengthening of public policies and comprehensive laws for the elimination of violence against women in Ibero-America.
Improve support services, protection and reparation for women victims/survivors of gender based violence in Ibero-America.
Strengthen the scope of violence against women prevention programs and plans and that promote a cultural change in Ibero-American society.
Other significant aspects include actions to promote the costing of violence against women in Ibero-American countries, strengthening prevention and response systems in emergency situations and improving the generation of violence against women data and statistics.
The formulation document presented in the last work session held yesterday shall be shared in the coming weeks with all Ibero-American countries in order for them to assess their adherence to the future Program/Initiative, which is expected to be formalized during the next XXVII Ibero-American Summit of Heads of State and Government, in April 2021.