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When he got to beat me, first he was grabbing my hair to hold me still, so he could beat me harder. I was trying to protect my belly, so he couldn’t hurt the child I was carrying. But when I got to the eighth month of pregnancy, he beat me so hard that three days later I gave birth to my baby.” This is how Cristina Petrov describes her life until recently and the time she carried Dumitru in her womb, a child who, guarded by his mother, was born healthy about a year ago.

Cristina is 24 years old and has never voted before. This wasn’t one of her thoughts or concerns at that time. A few years ago, she lost her mother. Her last memory of her dad is from the day he left out of the door and never came back. She had a difficult childhood, switching homes from one relative to another. She also dated different men. But with the last man in her life, she truly believed she could build the family she never had. But that was not the case.

“We didn’t have a wedding, we did not register our marriage, because he, just like me, is without parents. I was hoping we will create a real family, especially when I found out I was pregnant. I was happy. At first, he was behaving well, but happiness lasted only two weeks ... He started drinking, then he started to get violent with me. And when he found out that I was pregnant, while beating me he was accusing me that he wasn’t the child's father. I was trying to convince him that I didn’t have relationships with anyone else, especially since I wasn’t leaving the house that much, but he did not listen to me…”

A new start for Cristina and her child

Cristina gave birth to Dumitru and returned home to her partner, but he did not accept them, and chased her away along with her baby. She didn’t have a roof over her head, or anyone to go to. This is when she learned about the Maternal Centre “Pro Family” from Caușeni.

“I did not have a choice and I called this center and asked them to help me, to give me shelter as it was winter, and cold and I was having a small child and no place to go.”

At the Maternal Center in Caușeni, Cristina and Dumitru receive medical, psychological and legal support.

“Here I feel safe, I have everything I need, and I feel like home.”

Now, she can think about her and her child’s future. Because she can stay at the center indefinitely, Cristina is trying to look for a job that would provide a decent childhood for Dumitru, unlike the one she had.

“I want to be happy together with my child in the future, and to be able to raise him to the best of my knowledge. Although I am a single mother, I want to provide him with the best care possible. I never had a job before. My husband impeded me to work.”

"I will go next year to vote, to see how it goes”

This autumn, Cristina has learned something new. She learned that she has the unhindered right to be an active citizen in the community. She participated in an information session and a simulation of the Election Day – a first such experience for her.

If before the session, Cristina said she has never voted, because then she believed her vote would not change anything, now she has more confidence in the future: “I felt really good, I found out new things, I learned how to proceed to vote, because I knew very little or nothing about that matter. Thank you very much because I also learned why my vote matters. Next year, I will go to exercise my vote, to see how it goes, because it will be my first vote ever,” says Cristina.

The electoral education workshop dedicated to women in hardship conditions is part of a broader information campaign about the electoral rights of several distinct categories of voters from the Republic of Moldova – a joint effort conducted by 12 non-governmental organizations across the country in the framework of the project "Strengthening democracy in Moldova through inclusive and transparent elections", implemented by UNDP Moldova with the financial support of the United States Agency for International Development (USAID), the British Embassy in Chisinau through the Good Governance Fund and the Dutch Embassy through the Matra Program.

Electoral counseling and simulation of the voting process for young people and women in hardship conditions

Ludmila Afteni is the Executive Director of the Association of Psychologists Tighina, which is conducting during May-November 2018 a series of electoral education sessions and simulations of the voting process for young people and women in hardship situations – beneficiaries of a number of maternity centers (shelters) in three districts: Caușeni, Anenii Noi and Ștefan-Voda. The Association has organized several such activities at the Maternal Center “Pro Family” in Causeni.

“The subject of electoral education is often met with certain skepticism. The first questions or comments we get are along these lines: "Why would I ever need that? I don’t think it is such big problem if I don’t vote." At the beginning of the workshop, women are very reserved, you do not read too much enthusiasm in their eyes or on their faces. But when we explain that voting in a free and confidential manner, every four years, is the same as exercising their right to health care, or is equivalent to the right of a child to get an education unhindered by anyone, then the discussions flow more openly, and the women end up telling their stories about elections that they witnessed themselves, or perhaps heard from someone else,” says Ludmila Afteni.

Such activities are joined not just by women living at the shelter for a while, but also those who only come here during the day. Often, the workshop has among participants young women and men, as well as mother with their children. Women learn about elections process, and most of them take part in a voting simulation exercise, experiencing first-hand what it means to be part of a democratic process. 

At first, women do not even trust themselves

Tatiana Osadci has been the director of the Caușeni Maternal Center for seven years, while the center was founded 11 years ago. Since then, over a thousand women and girls in various hardship situations and over 900 children have been assisted by the Center.

“We offer a home and support for three categories of people: survivors of domestic violence, often mothers with children, survivors and potential victims of trafficking in human beings and mother-child couples facing financial or psychological difficulties. The women in our center reach us after they have faced severe risk situations threatening their life or, in some cases, also the life of their children. There are women whose self-confidence and hope in the future have been shattered as result of their traumatic experiences; some are uncertain whether that they can keep their children as they lack shelter and basic means to provide for them. Relationships with relatives are often very poor, and ultimately, they end up either running away or are being expelled from those homes,” says Tatiana Osadci.

The center can accommodate a maximum of 19 adult women and 14 children from one to three months. During this time, they are assisted and guided to find a home, a job, but also get informed.

“Apart from various NGOs which come to support us in organizing activities, the Center specialists put together a schedule, and organize 2-3 times a week several workshops moderated by psychologists, psycho-pedagogues, lawyers, nurses, social workers. Many of these activities are focused on re-gaining or increasing women’s self-confidence, as well as providing basic information on human rights and freedoms,” says Tatiana Osadci.

“If democracy matters, then my participation is important too”

The project "Strengthening democracy in Moldova through inclusive and transparent elections", implemented by UNDP Moldova, aims to reach to as many women as Cristina Petrov as possible. Cristina will go to the next election because now she understands better why going out and vote is important for her child's future.

“This is a challenge for them. “What shall happen if I vote too?” Women and girls are asking themselves all the time. In fact, we will all vote, for the first time, under the new electoral system. But they are more nervous than others. We want women to remember and understand that if democracy matters, then their participation is important too, and what they do on Election Day is their own decision,” says Ludmila Afteni from the Association of Psychologists “Tighina”.

Source: UNDP.

When he got to beat me, first he was grabbing my hair to hold me still, so he could beat me harder. I was trying to protect my belly, so he couldn’t hurt the child I was carrying. But when I got to the eighth month of pregnancy, he beat me so hard that three days later I gave birth to my baby.” This is how Cristina Petrov describes her life until recently and the time she carried Dumitru in her womb, a child who, guarded by his mother, was born healthy about a year ago.

Cristina is 24 years old and has never voted before. This wasn’t one of her thoughts or concerns at that time. A few years ago, she lost her mother. Her last memory of her dad is from the day he left out of the door and never came back. She had a difficult childhood, switching homes from one relative to another. She also dated different men. But with the last man in her life, she truly believed she could build the family she never had. But that was not the case.

“We didn’t have a wedding, we did not register our marriage, because he, just like me, is without parents. I was hoping we will create a real family, especially when I found out I was pregnant. I was happy. At first, he was behaving well, but happiness lasted only two weeks ... He started drinking, then he started to get violent with me. And when he found out that I was pregnant, while beating me he was accusing me that he wasn’t the child's father. I was trying to convince him that I didn’t have relationships with anyone else, especially since I wasn’t leaving the house that much, but he did not listen to me…”

A new start for Cristina and her child

Cristina gave birth to Dumitru and returned home to her partner, but he did not accept them, and chased her away along with her baby. She didn’t have a roof over her head, or anyone to go to. This is when she learned about the Maternal Centre “Pro Family” from Caușeni.

“I did not have a choice and I called this center and asked them to help me, to give me shelter as it was winter, and cold and I was having a small child and no place to go.”

At the Maternal Center in Caușeni, Cristina and Dumitru receive medical, psychological and legal support.

“Here I feel safe, I have everything I need, and I feel like home.”

Now, she can think about her and her child’s future. Because she can stay at the center indefinitely, Cristina is trying to look for a job that would provide a decent childhood for Dumitru, unlike the one she had.

“I want to be happy together with my child in the future, and to be able to raise him to the best of my knowledge. Although I am a single mother, I want to provide him with the best care possible. I never had a job before. My husband impeded me to work.”

"I will go next year to vote, to see how it goes”

This autumn, Cristina has learned something new. She learned that she has the unhindered right to be an active citizen in the community. She participated in an information session and a simulation of the Election Day – a first such experience for her.

If before the session, Cristina said she has never voted, because then she believed her vote would not change anything, now she has more confidence in the future: “I felt really good, I found out new things, I learned how to proceed to vote, because I knew very little or nothing about that matter. Thank you very much because I also learned why my vote matters. Next year, I will go to exercise my vote, to see how it goes, because it will be my first vote ever,” says Cristina.

The electoral education workshop dedicated to women in hardship conditions is part of a broader information campaign about the electoral rights of several distinct categories of voters from the Republic of Moldova – a joint effort conducted by 12 non-governmental organizations across the country in the framework of the project "Strengthening democracy in Moldova through inclusive and transparent elections", implemented by UNDP Moldova with the financial support of the United States Agency for International Development (USAID), the British Embassy in Chisinau through the Good Governance Fund and the Dutch Embassy through the Matra Program.

Electoral counseling and simulation of the voting process for young people and women in hardship conditions

Ludmila Afteni is the Executive Director of the Association of Psychologists Tighina, which is conducting during May-November 2018 a series of electoral education sessions and simulations of the voting process for young people and women in hardship situations – beneficiaries of a number of maternity centers (shelters) in three districts: Caușeni, Anenii Noi and Ștefan-Voda. The Association has organized several such activities at the Maternal Center “Pro Family” in Causeni.

“The subject of electoral education is often met with certain skepticism. The first questions or comments we get are along these lines: "Why would I ever need that? I don’t think it is such big problem if I don’t vote." At the beginning of the workshop, women are very reserved, you do not read too much enthusiasm in their eyes or on their faces. But when we explain that voting in a free and confidential manner, every four years, is the same as exercising their right to health care, or is equivalent to the right of a child to get an education unhindered by anyone, then the discussions flow more openly, and the women end up telling their stories about elections that they witnessed themselves, or perhaps heard from someone else,” says Ludmila Afteni.

Such activities are joined not just by women living at the shelter for a while, but also those who only come here during the day. Often, the workshop has among participants young women and men, as well as mother with their children. Women learn about elections process, and most of them take part in a voting simulation exercise, experiencing first-hand what it means to be part of a democratic process. 

At first, women do not even trust themselves

Tatiana Osadci has been the director of the Caușeni Maternal Center for seven years, while the center was founded 11 years ago. Since then, over a thousand women and girls in various hardship situations and over 900 children have been assisted by the Center.

“We offer a home and support for three categories of people: survivors of domestic violence, often mothers with children, survivors and potential victims of trafficking in human beings and mother-child couples facing financial or psychological difficulties. The women in our center reach us after they have faced severe risk situations threatening their life or, in some cases, also the life of their children. There are women whose self-confidence and hope in the future have been shattered as result of their traumatic experiences; some are uncertain whether that they can keep their children as they lack shelter and basic means to provide for them. Relationships with relatives are often very poor, and ultimately, they end up either running away or are being expelled from those homes,” says Tatiana Osadci.

The center can accommodate a maximum of 19 adult women and 14 children from one to three months. During this time, they are assisted and guided to find a home, a job, but also get informed.

“Apart from various NGOs which come to support us in organizing activities, the Center specialists put together a schedule, and organize 2-3 times a week several workshops moderated by psychologists, psycho-pedagogues, lawyers, nurses, social workers. Many of these activities are focused on re-gaining or increasing women’s self-confidence, as well as providing basic information on human rights and freedoms,” says Tatiana Osadci.

“If democracy matters, then my participation is important too”

The project "Strengthening democracy in Moldova through inclusive and transparent elections", implemented by UNDP Moldova, aims to reach to as many women as Cristina Petrov as possible. Cristina will go to the next election because now she understands better why going out and vote is important for her child's future.

“This is a challenge for them. “What shall happen if I vote too?” Women and girls are asking themselves all the time. In fact, we will all vote, for the first time, under the new electoral system. But they are more nervous than others. We want women to remember and understand that if democracy matters, then their participation is important too, and what they do on Election Day is their own decision,” says Ludmila Afteni from the Association of Psychologists “Tighina”.

Source: UNDP.

When he got to beat me, first he was grabbing my hair to hold me still, so he could beat me harder. I was trying to protect my belly, so he couldn’t hurt the child I was carrying. But when I got to the eighth month of pregnancy, he beat me so hard that three days later I gave birth to my baby.” This is how Cristina Petrov describes her life until recently and the time she carried Dumitru in her womb, a child who, guarded by his mother, was born healthy about a year ago.

Cristina is 24 years old and has never voted before. This wasn’t one of her thoughts or concerns at that time. A few years ago, she lost her mother. Her last memory of her dad is from the day he left out of the door and never came back. She had a difficult childhood, switching homes from one relative to another. She also dated different men. But with the last man in her life, she truly believed she could build the family she never had. But that was not the case.

“We didn’t have a wedding, we did not register our marriage, because he, just like me, is without parents. I was hoping we will create a real family, especially when I found out I was pregnant. I was happy. At first, he was behaving well, but happiness lasted only two weeks ... He started drinking, then he started to get violent with me. And when he found out that I was pregnant, while beating me he was accusing me that he wasn’t the child's father. I was trying to convince him that I didn’t have relationships with anyone else, especially since I wasn’t leaving the house that much, but he did not listen to me…”

A new start for Cristina and her child

Cristina gave birth to Dumitru and returned home to her partner, but he did not accept them, and chased her away along with her baby. She didn’t have a roof over her head, or anyone to go to. This is when she learned about the Maternal Centre “Pro Family” from Caușeni.

“I did not have a choice and I called this center and asked them to help me, to give me shelter as it was winter, and cold and I was having a small child and no place to go.”

At the Maternal Center in Caușeni, Cristina and Dumitru receive medical, psychological and legal support.

“Here I feel safe, I have everything I need, and I feel like home.”

Now, she can think about her and her child’s future. Because she can stay at the center indefinitely, Cristina is trying to look for a job that would provide a decent childhood for Dumitru, unlike the one she had.

“I want to be happy together with my child in the future, and to be able to raise him to the best of my knowledge. Although I am a single mother, I want to provide him with the best care possible. I never had a job before. My husband impeded me to work.”

"I will go next year to vote, to see how it goes”

This autumn, Cristina has learned something new. She learned that she has the unhindered right to be an active citizen in the community. She participated in an information session and a simulation of the Election Day – a first such experience for her.

If before the session, Cristina said she has never voted, because then she believed her vote would not change anything, now she has more confidence in the future: “I felt really good, I found out new things, I learned how to proceed to vote, because I knew very little or nothing about that matter. Thank you very much because I also learned why my vote matters. Next year, I will go to exercise my vote, to see how it goes, because it will be my first vote ever,” says Cristina.

The electoral education workshop dedicated to women in hardship conditions is part of a broader information campaign about the electoral rights of several distinct categories of voters from the Republic of Moldova – a joint effort conducted by 12 non-governmental organizations across the country in the framework of the project "Strengthening democracy in Moldova through inclusive and transparent elections", implemented by UNDP Moldova with the financial support of the United States Agency for International Development (USAID), the British Embassy in Chisinau through the Good Governance Fund and the Dutch Embassy through the Matra Program.

Electoral counseling and simulation of the voting process for young people and women in hardship conditions

Ludmila Afteni is the Executive Director of the Association of Psychologists Tighina, which is conducting during May-November 2018 a series of electoral education sessions and simulations of the voting process for young people and women in hardship situations – beneficiaries of a number of maternity centers (shelters) in three districts: Caușeni, Anenii Noi and Ștefan-Voda. The Association has organized several such activities at the Maternal Center “Pro Family” in Causeni.

“The subject of electoral education is often met with certain skepticism. The first questions or comments we get are along these lines: "Why would I ever need that? I don’t think it is such big problem if I don’t vote." At the beginning of the workshop, women are very reserved, you do not read too much enthusiasm in their eyes or on their faces. But when we explain that voting in a free and confidential manner, every four years, is the same as exercising their right to health care, or is equivalent to the right of a child to get an education unhindered by anyone, then the discussions flow more openly, and the women end up telling their stories about elections that they witnessed themselves, or perhaps heard from someone else,” says Ludmila Afteni.

Such activities are joined not just by women living at the shelter for a while, but also those who only come here during the day. Often, the workshop has among participants young women and men, as well as mother with their children. Women learn about elections process, and most of them take part in a voting simulation exercise, experiencing first-hand what it means to be part of a democratic process. 

At first, women do not even trust themselves

Tatiana Osadci has been the director of the Caușeni Maternal Center for seven years, while the center was founded 11 years ago. Since then, over a thousand women and girls in various hardship situations and over 900 children have been assisted by the Center.

“We offer a home and support for three categories of people: survivors of domestic violence, often mothers with children, survivors and potential victims of trafficking in human beings and mother-child couples facing financial or psychological difficulties. The women in our center reach us after they have faced severe risk situations threatening their life or, in some cases, also the life of their children. There are women whose self-confidence and hope in the future have been shattered as result of their traumatic experiences; some are uncertain whether that they can keep their children as they lack shelter and basic means to provide for them. Relationships with relatives are often very poor, and ultimately, they end up either running away or are being expelled from those homes,” says Tatiana Osadci.

The center can accommodate a maximum of 19 adult women and 14 children from one to three months. During this time, they are assisted and guided to find a home, a job, but also get informed.

“Apart from various NGOs which come to support us in organizing activities, the Center specialists put together a schedule, and organize 2-3 times a week several workshops moderated by psychologists, psycho-pedagogues, lawyers, nurses, social workers. Many of these activities are focused on re-gaining or increasing women’s self-confidence, as well as providing basic information on human rights and freedoms,” says Tatiana Osadci.

“If democracy matters, then my participation is important too”

The project "Strengthening democracy in Moldova through inclusive and transparent elections", implemented by UNDP Moldova, aims to reach to as many women as Cristina Petrov as possible. Cristina will go to the next election because now she understands better why going out and vote is important for her child's future.

“This is a challenge for them. “What shall happen if I vote too?” Women and girls are asking themselves all the time. In fact, we will all vote, for the first time, under the new electoral system. But they are more nervous than others. We want women to remember and understand that if democracy matters, then their participation is important too, and what they do on Election Day is their own decision,” says Ludmila Afteni from the Association of Psychologists “Tighina”.

Source: UNDP.

When he got to beat me, first he was grabbing my hair to hold me still, so he could beat me harder. I was trying to protect my belly, so he couldn’t hurt the child I was carrying. But when I got to the eighth month of pregnancy, he beat me so hard that three days later I gave birth to my baby.” This is how Cristina Petrov describes her life until recently and the time she carried Dumitru in her womb, a child who, guarded by his mother, was born healthy about a year ago.

Cristina is 24 years old and has never voted before. This wasn’t one of her thoughts or concerns at that time. A few years ago, she lost her mother. Her last memory of her dad is from the day he left out of the door and never came back. She had a difficult childhood, switching homes from one relative to another. She also dated different men. But with the last man in her life, she truly believed she could build the family she never had. But that was not the case.

“We didn’t have a wedding, we did not register our marriage, because he, just like me, is without parents. I was hoping we will create a real family, especially when I found out I was pregnant. I was happy. At first, he was behaving well, but happiness lasted only two weeks ... He started drinking, then he started to get violent with me. And when he found out that I was pregnant, while beating me he was accusing me that he wasn’t the child's father. I was trying to convince him that I didn’t have relationships with anyone else, especially since I wasn’t leaving the house that much, but he did not listen to me…”

A new start for Cristina and her child

Cristina gave birth to Dumitru and returned home to her partner, but he did not accept them, and chased her away along with her baby. She didn’t have a roof over her head, or anyone to go to. This is when she learned about the Maternal Centre “Pro Family” from Caușeni.

“I did not have a choice and I called this center and asked them to help me, to give me shelter as it was winter, and cold and I was having a small child and no place to go.”

At the Maternal Center in Caușeni, Cristina and Dumitru receive medical, psychological and legal support.

“Here I feel safe, I have everything I need, and I feel like home.”

Now, she can think about her and her child’s future. Because she can stay at the center indefinitely, Cristina is trying to look for a job that would provide a decent childhood for Dumitru, unlike the one she had.

“I want to be happy together with my child in the future, and to be able to raise him to the best of my knowledge. Although I am a single mother, I want to provide him with the best care possible. I never had a job before. My husband impeded me to work.”

"I will go next year to vote, to see how it goes”

This autumn, Cristina has learned something new. She learned that she has the unhindered right to be an active citizen in the community. She participated in an information session and a simulation of the Election Day – a first such experience for her.

If before the session, Cristina said she has never voted, because then she believed her vote would not change anything, now she has more confidence in the future: “I felt really good, I found out new things, I learned how to proceed to vote, because I knew very little or nothing about that matter. Thank you very much because I also learned why my vote matters. Next year, I will go to exercise my vote, to see how it goes, because it will be my first vote ever,” says Cristina.

The electoral education workshop dedicated to women in hardship conditions is part of a broader information campaign about the electoral rights of several distinct categories of voters from the Republic of Moldova – a joint effort conducted by 12 non-governmental organizations across the country in the framework of the project "Strengthening democracy in Moldova through inclusive and transparent elections", implemented by UNDP Moldova with the financial support of the United States Agency for International Development (USAID), the British Embassy in Chisinau through the Good Governance Fund and the Dutch Embassy through the Matra Program.

Electoral counseling and simulation of the voting process for young people and women in hardship conditions

Ludmila Afteni is the Executive Director of the Association of Psychologists Tighina, which is conducting during May-November 2018 a series of electoral education sessions and simulations of the voting process for young people and women in hardship situations – beneficiaries of a number of maternity centers (shelters) in three districts: Caușeni, Anenii Noi and Ștefan-Voda. The Association has organized several such activities at the Maternal Center “Pro Family” in Causeni.

“The subject of electoral education is often met with certain skepticism. The first questions or comments we get are along these lines: "Why would I ever need that? I don’t think it is such big problem if I don’t vote." At the beginning of the workshop, women are very reserved, you do not read too much enthusiasm in their eyes or on their faces. But when we explain that voting in a free and confidential manner, every four years, is the same as exercising their right to health care, or is equivalent to the right of a child to get an education unhindered by anyone, then the discussions flow more openly, and the women end up telling their stories about elections that they witnessed themselves, or perhaps heard from someone else,” says Ludmila Afteni.

Such activities are joined not just by women living at the shelter for a while, but also those who only come here during the day. Often, the workshop has among participants young women and men, as well as mother with their children. Women learn about elections process, and most of them take part in a voting simulation exercise, experiencing first-hand what it means to be part of a democratic process. 

At first, women do not even trust themselves

Tatiana Osadci has been the director of the Caușeni Maternal Center for seven years, while the center was founded 11 years ago. Since then, over a thousand women and girls in various hardship situations and over 900 children have been assisted by the Center.

“We offer a home and support for three categories of people: survivors of domestic violence, often mothers with children, survivors and potential victims of trafficking in human beings and mother-child couples facing financial or psychological difficulties. The women in our center reach us after they have faced severe risk situations threatening their life or, in some cases, also the life of their children. There are women whose self-confidence and hope in the future have been shattered as result of their traumatic experiences; some are uncertain whether that they can keep their children as they lack shelter and basic means to provide for them. Relationships with relatives are often very poor, and ultimately, they end up either running away or are being expelled from those homes,” says Tatiana Osadci.

The center can accommodate a maximum of 19 adult women and 14 children from one to three months. During this time, they are assisted and guided to find a home, a job, but also get informed.

“Apart from various NGOs which come to support us in organizing activities, the Center specialists put together a schedule, and organize 2-3 times a week several workshops moderated by psychologists, psycho-pedagogues, lawyers, nurses, social workers. Many of these activities are focused on re-gaining or increasing women’s self-confidence, as well as providing basic information on human rights and freedoms,” says Tatiana Osadci.

“If democracy matters, then my participation is important too”

The project "Strengthening democracy in Moldova through inclusive and transparent elections", implemented by UNDP Moldova, aims to reach to as many women as Cristina Petrov as possible. Cristina will go to the next election because now she understands better why going out and vote is important for her child's future.

“This is a challenge for them. “What shall happen if I vote too?” Women and girls are asking themselves all the time. In fact, we will all vote, for the first time, under the new electoral system. But they are more nervous than others. We want women to remember and understand that if democracy matters, then their participation is important too, and what they do on Election Day is their own decision,” says Ludmila Afteni from the Association of Psychologists “Tighina”.

Source: UNDP.

When he got to beat me, first he was grabbing my hair to hold me still, so he could beat me harder. I was trying to protect my belly, so he couldn’t hurt the child I was carrying. But when I got to the eighth month of pregnancy, he beat me so hard that three days later I gave birth to my baby.” This is how Cristina Petrov describes her life until recently and the time she carried Dumitru in her womb, a child who, guarded by his mother, was born healthy about a year ago.

Cristina is 24 years old and has never voted before. This wasn’t one of her thoughts or concerns at that time. A few years ago, she lost her mother. Her last memory of her dad is from the day he left out of the door and never came back. She had a difficult childhood, switching homes from one relative to another. She also dated different men. But with the last man in her life, she truly believed she could build the family she never had. But that was not the case.

“We didn’t have a wedding, we did not register our marriage, because he, just like me, is without parents. I was hoping we will create a real family, especially when I found out I was pregnant. I was happy. At first, he was behaving well, but happiness lasted only two weeks ... He started drinking, then he started to get violent with me. And when he found out that I was pregnant, while beating me he was accusing me that he wasn’t the child's father. I was trying to convince him that I didn’t have relationships with anyone else, especially since I wasn’t leaving the house that much, but he did not listen to me…”

A new start for Cristina and her child

Cristina gave birth to Dumitru and returned home to her partner, but he did not accept them, and chased her away along with her baby. She didn’t have a roof over her head, or anyone to go to. This is when she learned about the Maternal Centre “Pro Family” from Caușeni.

“I did not have a choice and I called this center and asked them to help me, to give me shelter as it was winter, and cold and I was having a small child and no place to go.”

At the Maternal Center in Caușeni, Cristina and Dumitru receive medical, psychological and legal support.

“Here I feel safe, I have everything I need, and I feel like home.”

Now, she can think about her and her child’s future. Because she can stay at the center indefinitely, Cristina is trying to look for a job that would provide a decent childhood for Dumitru, unlike the one she had.

“I want to be happy together with my child in the future, and to be able to raise him to the best of my knowledge. Although I am a single mother, I want to provide him with the best care possible. I never had a job before. My husband impeded me to work.”

"I will go next year to vote, to see how it goes”

This autumn, Cristina has learned something new. She learned that she has the unhindered right to be an active citizen in the community. She participated in an information session and a simulation of the Election Day – a first such experience for her.

If before the session, Cristina said she has never voted, because then she believed her vote would not change anything, now she has more confidence in the future: “I felt really good, I found out new things, I learned how to proceed to vote, because I knew very little or nothing about that matter. Thank you very much because I also learned why my vote matters. Next year, I will go to exercise my vote, to see how it goes, because it will be my first vote ever,” says Cristina.

The electoral education workshop dedicated to women in hardship conditions is part of a broader information campaign about the electoral rights of several distinct categories of voters from the Republic of Moldova – a joint effort conducted by 12 non-governmental organizations across the country in the framework of the project "Strengthening democracy in Moldova through inclusive and transparent elections", implemented by UNDP Moldova with the financial support of the United States Agency for International Development (USAID), the British Embassy in Chisinau through the Good Governance Fund and the Dutch Embassy through the Matra Program.

Electoral counseling and simulation of the voting process for young people and women in hardship conditions

Ludmila Afteni is the Executive Director of the Association of Psychologists Tighina, which is conducting during May-November 2018 a series of electoral education sessions and simulations of the voting process for young people and women in hardship situations – beneficiaries of a number of maternity centers (shelters) in three districts: Caușeni, Anenii Noi and Ștefan-Voda. The Association has organized several such activities at the Maternal Center “Pro Family” in Causeni.

“The subject of electoral education is often met with certain skepticism. The first questions or comments we get are along these lines: "Why would I ever need that? I don’t think it is such big problem if I don’t vote." At the beginning of the workshop, women are very reserved, you do not read too much enthusiasm in their eyes or on their faces. But when we explain that voting in a free and confidential manner, every four years, is the same as exercising their right to health care, or is equivalent to the right of a child to get an education unhindered by anyone, then the discussions flow more openly, and the women end up telling their stories about elections that they witnessed themselves, or perhaps heard from someone else,” says Ludmila Afteni.

Such activities are joined not just by women living at the shelter for a while, but also those who only come here during the day. Often, the workshop has among participants young women and men, as well as mother with their children. Women learn about elections process, and most of them take part in a voting simulation exercise, experiencing first-hand what it means to be part of a democratic process. 

At first, women do not even trust themselves

Tatiana Osadci has been the director of the Caușeni Maternal Center for seven years, while the center was founded 11 years ago. Since then, over a thousand women and girls in various hardship situations and over 900 children have been assisted by the Center.

“We offer a home and support for three categories of people: survivors of domestic violence, often mothers with children, survivors and potential victims of trafficking in human beings and mother-child couples facing financial or psychological difficulties. The women in our center reach us after they have faced severe risk situations threatening their life or, in some cases, also the life of their children. There are women whose self-confidence and hope in the future have been shattered as result of their traumatic experiences; some are uncertain whether that they can keep their children as they lack shelter and basic means to provide for them. Relationships with relatives are often very poor, and ultimately, they end up either running away or are being expelled from those homes,” says Tatiana Osadci.

The center can accommodate a maximum of 19 adult women and 14 children from one to three months. During this time, they are assisted and guided to find a home, a job, but also get informed.

“Apart from various NGOs which come to support us in organizing activities, the Center specialists put together a schedule, and organize 2-3 times a week several workshops moderated by psychologists, psycho-pedagogues, lawyers, nurses, social workers. Many of these activities are focused on re-gaining or increasing women’s self-confidence, as well as providing basic information on human rights and freedoms,” says Tatiana Osadci.

“If democracy matters, then my participation is important too”

The project "Strengthening democracy in Moldova through inclusive and transparent elections", implemented by UNDP Moldova, aims to reach to as many women as Cristina Petrov as possible. Cristina will go to the next election because now she understands better why going out and vote is important for her child's future.

“This is a challenge for them. “What shall happen if I vote too?” Women and girls are asking themselves all the time. In fact, we will all vote, for the first time, under the new electoral system. But they are more nervous than others. We want women to remember and understand that if democracy matters, then their participation is important too, and what they do on Election Day is their own decision,” says Ludmila Afteni from the Association of Psychologists “Tighina”.

Source: UNDP.

When he got to beat me, first he was grabbing my hair to hold me still, so he could beat me harder. I was trying to protect my belly, so he couldn’t hurt the child I was carrying. But when I got to the eighth month of pregnancy, he beat me so hard that three days later I gave birth to my baby.” This is how Cristina Petrov describes her life until recently and the time she carried Dumitru in her womb, a child who, guarded by his mother, was born healthy about a year ago.

Cristina is 24 years old and has never voted before. This wasn’t one of her thoughts or concerns at that time. A few years ago, she lost her mother. Her last memory of her dad is from the day he left out of the door and never came back. She had a difficult childhood, switching homes from one relative to another. She also dated different men. But with the last man in her life, she truly believed she could build the family she never had. But that was not the case.

“We didn’t have a wedding, we did not register our marriage, because he, just like me, is without parents. I was hoping we will create a real family, especially when I found out I was pregnant. I was happy. At first, he was behaving well, but happiness lasted only two weeks ... He started drinking, then he started to get violent with me. And when he found out that I was pregnant, while beating me he was accusing me that he wasn’t the child's father. I was trying to convince him that I didn’t have relationships with anyone else, especially since I wasn’t leaving the house that much, but he did not listen to me…”

A new start for Cristina and her child

Cristina gave birth to Dumitru and returned home to her partner, but he did not accept them, and chased her away along with her baby. She didn’t have a roof over her head, or anyone to go to. This is when she learned about the Maternal Centre “Pro Family” from Caușeni.

“I did not have a choice and I called this center and asked them to help me, to give me shelter as it was winter, and cold and I was having a small child and no place to go.”

At the Maternal Center in Caușeni, Cristina and Dumitru receive medical, psychological and legal support.

“Here I feel safe, I have everything I need, and I feel like home.”

Now, she can think about her and her child’s future. Because she can stay at the center indefinitely, Cristina is trying to look for a job that would provide a decent childhood for Dumitru, unlike the one she had.

“I want to be happy together with my child in the future, and to be able to raise him to the best of my knowledge. Although I am a single mother, I want to provide him with the best care possible. I never had a job before. My husband impeded me to work.”

"I will go next year to vote, to see how it goes”

This autumn, Cristina has learned something new. She learned that she has the unhindered right to be an active citizen in the community. She participated in an information session and a simulation of the Election Day – a first such experience for her.

If before the session, Cristina said she has never voted, because then she believed her vote would not change anything, now she has more confidence in the future: “I felt really good, I found out new things, I learned how to proceed to vote, because I knew very little or nothing about that matter. Thank you very much because I also learned why my vote matters. Next year, I will go to exercise my vote, to see how it goes, because it will be my first vote ever,” says Cristina.

The electoral education workshop dedicated to women in hardship conditions is part of a broader information campaign about the electoral rights of several distinct categories of voters from the Republic of Moldova – a joint effort conducted by 12 non-governmental organizations across the country in the framework of the project "Strengthening democracy in Moldova through inclusive and transparent elections", implemented by UNDP Moldova with the financial support of the United States Agency for International Development (USAID), the British Embassy in Chisinau through the Good Governance Fund and the Dutch Embassy through the Matra Program.

Electoral counseling and simulation of the voting process for young people and women in hardship conditions

Ludmila Afteni is the Executive Director of the Association of Psychologists Tighina, which is conducting during May-November 2018 a series of electoral education sessions and simulations of the voting process for young people and women in hardship situations – beneficiaries of a number of maternity centers (shelters) in three districts: Caușeni, Anenii Noi and Ștefan-Voda. The Association has organized several such activities at the Maternal Center “Pro Family” in Causeni.

“The subject of electoral education is often met with certain skepticism. The first questions or comments we get are along these lines: "Why would I ever need that? I don’t think it is such big problem if I don’t vote." At the beginning of the workshop, women are very reserved, you do not read too much enthusiasm in their eyes or on their faces. But when we explain that voting in a free and confidential manner, every four years, is the same as exercising their right to health care, or is equivalent to the right of a child to get an education unhindered by anyone, then the discussions flow more openly, and the women end up telling their stories about elections that they witnessed themselves, or perhaps heard from someone else,” says Ludmila Afteni.

Such activities are joined not just by women living at the shelter for a while, but also those who only come here during the day. Often, the workshop has among participants young women and men, as well as mother with their children. Women learn about elections process, and most of them take part in a voting simulation exercise, experiencing first-hand what it means to be part of a democratic process. 

At first, women do not even trust themselves

Tatiana Osadci has been the director of the Caușeni Maternal Center for seven years, while the center was founded 11 years ago. Since then, over a thousand women and girls in various hardship situations and over 900 children have been assisted by the Center.

“We offer a home and support for three categories of people: survivors of domestic violence, often mothers with children, survivors and potential victims of trafficking in human beings and mother-child couples facing financial or psychological difficulties. The women in our center reach us after they have faced severe risk situations threatening their life or, in some cases, also the life of their children. There are women whose self-confidence and hope in the future have been shattered as result of their traumatic experiences; some are uncertain whether that they can keep their children as they lack shelter and basic means to provide for them. Relationships with relatives are often very poor, and ultimately, they end up either running away or are being expelled from those homes,” says Tatiana Osadci.

The center can accommodate a maximum of 19 adult women and 14 children from one to three months. During this time, they are assisted and guided to find a home, a job, but also get informed.

“Apart from various NGOs which come to support us in organizing activities, the Center specialists put together a schedule, and organize 2-3 times a week several workshops moderated by psychologists, psycho-pedagogues, lawyers, nurses, social workers. Many of these activities are focused on re-gaining or increasing women’s self-confidence, as well as providing basic information on human rights and freedoms,” says Tatiana Osadci.

“If democracy matters, then my participation is important too”

The project "Strengthening democracy in Moldova through inclusive and transparent elections", implemented by UNDP Moldova, aims to reach to as many women as Cristina Petrov as possible. Cristina will go to the next election because now she understands better why going out and vote is important for her child's future.

“This is a challenge for them. “What shall happen if I vote too?” Women and girls are asking themselves all the time. In fact, we will all vote, for the first time, under the new electoral system. But they are more nervous than others. We want women to remember and understand that if democracy matters, then their participation is important too, and what they do on Election Day is their own decision,” says Ludmila Afteni from the Association of Psychologists “Tighina”.

Source: UNDP.

When he got to beat me, first he was grabbing my hair to hold me still, so he could beat me harder. I was trying to protect my belly, so he couldn’t hurt the child I was carrying. But when I got to the eighth month of pregnancy, he beat me so hard that three days later I gave birth to my baby.” This is how Cristina Petrov describes her life until recently and the time she carried Dumitru in her womb, a child who, guarded by his mother, was born healthy about a year ago.

Cristina is 24 years old and has never voted before. This wasn’t one of her thoughts or concerns at that time. A few years ago, she lost her mother. Her last memory of her dad is from the day he left out of the door and never came back. She had a difficult childhood, switching homes from one relative to another. She also dated different men. But with the last man in her life, she truly believed she could build the family she never had. But that was not the case.

“We didn’t have a wedding, we did not register our marriage, because he, just like me, is without parents. I was hoping we will create a real family, especially when I found out I was pregnant. I was happy. At first, he was behaving well, but happiness lasted only two weeks ... He started drinking, then he started to get violent with me. And when he found out that I was pregnant, while beating me he was accusing me that he wasn’t the child's father. I was trying to convince him that I didn’t have relationships with anyone else, especially since I wasn’t leaving the house that much, but he did not listen to me…”

A new start for Cristina and her child

Cristina gave birth to Dumitru and returned home to her partner, but he did not accept them, and chased her away along with her baby. She didn’t have a roof over her head, or anyone to go to. This is when she learned about the Maternal Centre “Pro Family” from Caușeni.

“I did not have a choice and I called this center and asked them to help me, to give me shelter as it was winter, and cold and I was having a small child and no place to go.”

At the Maternal Center in Caușeni, Cristina and Dumitru receive medical, psychological and legal support.

“Here I feel safe, I have everything I need, and I feel like home.”

Now, she can think about her and her child’s future. Because she can stay at the center indefinitely, Cristina is trying to look for a job that would provide a decent childhood for Dumitru, unlike the one she had.

“I want to be happy together with my child in the future, and to be able to raise him to the best of my knowledge. Although I am a single mother, I want to provide him with the best care possible. I never had a job before. My husband impeded me to work.”

"I will go next year to vote, to see how it goes”

This autumn, Cristina has learned something new. She learned that she has the unhindered right to be an active citizen in the community. She participated in an information session and a simulation of the Election Day – a first such experience for her.

If before the session, Cristina said she has never voted, because then she believed her vote would not change anything, now she has more confidence in the future: “I felt really good, I found out new things, I learned how to proceed to vote, because I knew very little or nothing about that matter. Thank you very much because I also learned why my vote matters. Next year, I will go to exercise my vote, to see how it goes, because it will be my first vote ever,” says Cristina.

The electoral education workshop dedicated to women in hardship conditions is part of a broader information campaign about the electoral rights of several distinct categories of voters from the Republic of Moldova – a joint effort conducted by 12 non-governmental organizations across the country in the framework of the project "Strengthening democracy in Moldova through inclusive and transparent elections", implemented by UNDP Moldova with the financial support of the United States Agency for International Development (USAID), the British Embassy in Chisinau through the Good Governance Fund and the Dutch Embassy through the Matra Program.

Electoral counseling and simulation of the voting process for young people and women in hardship conditions

Ludmila Afteni is the Executive Director of the Association of Psychologists Tighina, which is conducting during May-November 2018 a series of electoral education sessions and simulations of the voting process for young people and women in hardship situations – beneficiaries of a number of maternity centers (shelters) in three districts: Caușeni, Anenii Noi and Ștefan-Voda. The Association has organized several such activities at the Maternal Center “Pro Family” in Causeni.

“The subject of electoral education is often met with certain skepticism. The first questions or comments we get are along these lines: "Why would I ever need that? I don’t think it is such big problem if I don’t vote." At the beginning of the workshop, women are very reserved, you do not read too much enthusiasm in their eyes or on their faces. But when we explain that voting in a free and confidential manner, every four years, is the same as exercising their right to health care, or is equivalent to the right of a child to get an education unhindered by anyone, then the discussions flow more openly, and the women end up telling their stories about elections that they witnessed themselves, or perhaps heard from someone else,” says Ludmila Afteni.

Such activities are joined not just by women living at the shelter for a while, but also those who only come here during the day. Often, the workshop has among participants young women and men, as well as mother with their children. Women learn about elections process, and most of them take part in a voting simulation exercise, experiencing first-hand what it means to be part of a democratic process. 

At first, women do not even trust themselves

Tatiana Osadci has been the director of the Caușeni Maternal Center for seven years, while the center was founded 11 years ago. Since then, over a thousand women and girls in various hardship situations and over 900 children have been assisted by the Center.

“We offer a home and support for three categories of people: survivors of domestic violence, often mothers with children, survivors and potential victims of trafficking in human beings and mother-child couples facing financial or psychological difficulties. The women in our center reach us after they have faced severe risk situations threatening their life or, in some cases, also the life of their children. There are women whose self-confidence and hope in the future have been shattered as result of their traumatic experiences; some are uncertain whether that they can keep their children as they lack shelter and basic means to provide for them. Relationships with relatives are often very poor, and ultimately, they end up either running away or are being expelled from those homes,” says Tatiana Osadci.

The center can accommodate a maximum of 19 adult women and 14 children from one to three months. During this time, they are assisted and guided to find a home, a job, but also get informed.

“Apart from various NGOs which come to support us in organizing activities, the Center specialists put together a schedule, and organize 2-3 times a week several workshops moderated by psychologists, psycho-pedagogues, lawyers, nurses, social workers. Many of these activities are focused on re-gaining or increasing women’s self-confidence, as well as providing basic information on human rights and freedoms,” says Tatiana Osadci.

“If democracy matters, then my participation is important too”

The project "Strengthening democracy in Moldova through inclusive and transparent elections", implemented by UNDP Moldova, aims to reach to as many women as Cristina Petrov as possible. Cristina will go to the next election because now she understands better why going out and vote is important for her child's future.

“This is a challenge for them. “What shall happen if I vote too?” Women and girls are asking themselves all the time. In fact, we will all vote, for the first time, under the new electoral system. But they are more nervous than others. We want women to remember and understand that if democracy matters, then their participation is important too, and what they do on Election Day is their own decision,” says Ludmila Afteni from the Association of Psychologists “Tighina”.

Source: UNDP.

When he got to beat me, first he was grabbing my hair to hold me still, so he could beat me harder. I was trying to protect my belly, so he couldn’t hurt the child I was carrying. But when I got to the eighth month of pregnancy, he beat me so hard that three days later I gave birth to my baby.” This is how Cristina Petrov describes her life until recently and the time she carried Dumitru in her womb, a child who, guarded by his mother, was born healthy about a year ago.

Cristina is 24 years old and has never voted before. This wasn’t one of her thoughts or concerns at that time. A few years ago, she lost her mother. Her last memory of her dad is from the day he left out of the door and never came back. She had a difficult childhood, switching homes from one relative to another. She also dated different men. But with the last man in her life, she truly believed she could build the family she never had. But that was not the case.

“We didn’t have a wedding, we did not register our marriage, because he, just like me, is without parents. I was hoping we will create a real family, especially when I found out I was pregnant. I was happy. At first, he was behaving well, but happiness lasted only two weeks ... He started drinking, then he started to get violent with me. And when he found out that I was pregnant, while beating me he was accusing me that he wasn’t the child's father. I was trying to convince him that I didn’t have relationships with anyone else, especially since I wasn’t leaving the house that much, but he did not listen to me…”

A new start for Cristina and her child

Cristina gave birth to Dumitru and returned home to her partner, but he did not accept them, and chased her away along with her baby. She didn’t have a roof over her head, or anyone to go to. This is when she learned about the Maternal Centre “Pro Family” from Caușeni.

“I did not have a choice and I called this center and asked them to help me, to give me shelter as it was winter, and cold and I was having a small child and no place to go.”

At the Maternal Center in Caușeni, Cristina and Dumitru receive medical, psychological and legal support.

“Here I feel safe, I have everything I need, and I feel like home.”

Now, she can think about her and her child’s future. Because she can stay at the center indefinitely, Cristina is trying to look for a job that would provide a decent childhood for Dumitru, unlike the one she had.

“I want to be happy together with my child in the future, and to be able to raise him to the best of my knowledge. Although I am a single mother, I want to provide him with the best care possible. I never had a job before. My husband impeded me to work.”

"I will go next year to vote, to see how it goes”

This autumn, Cristina has learned something new. She learned that she has the unhindered right to be an active citizen in the community. She participated in an information session and a simulation of the Election Day – a first such experience for her.

If before the session, Cristina said she has never voted, because then she believed her vote would not change anything, now she has more confidence in the future: “I felt really good, I found out new things, I learned how to proceed to vote, because I knew very little or nothing about that matter. Thank you very much because I also learned why my vote matters. Next year, I will go to exercise my vote, to see how it goes, because it will be my first vote ever,” says Cristina.

The electoral education workshop dedicated to women in hardship conditions is part of a broader information campaign about the electoral rights of several distinct categories of voters from the Republic of Moldova – a joint effort conducted by 12 non-governmental organizations across the country in the framework of the project "Strengthening democracy in Moldova through inclusive and transparent elections", implemented by UNDP Moldova with the financial support of the United States Agency for International Development (USAID), the British Embassy in Chisinau through the Good Governance Fund and the Dutch Embassy through the Matra Program.

Electoral counseling and simulation of the voting process for young people and women in hardship conditions

Ludmila Afteni is the Executive Director of the Association of Psychologists Tighina, which is conducting during May-November 2018 a series of electoral education sessions and simulations of the voting process for young people and women in hardship situations – beneficiaries of a number of maternity centers (shelters) in three districts: Caușeni, Anenii Noi and Ștefan-Voda. The Association has organized several such activities at the Maternal Center “Pro Family” in Causeni.

“The subject of electoral education is often met with certain skepticism. The first questions or comments we get are along these lines: "Why would I ever need that? I don’t think it is such big problem if I don’t vote." At the beginning of the workshop, women are very reserved, you do not read too much enthusiasm in their eyes or on their faces. But when we explain that voting in a free and confidential manner, every four years, is the same as exercising their right to health care, or is equivalent to the right of a child to get an education unhindered by anyone, then the discussions flow more openly, and the women end up telling their stories about elections that they witnessed themselves, or perhaps heard from someone else,” says Ludmila Afteni.

Such activities are joined not just by women living at the shelter for a while, but also those who only come here during the day. Often, the workshop has among participants young women and men, as well as mother with their children. Women learn about elections process, and most of them take part in a voting simulation exercise, experiencing first-hand what it means to be part of a democratic process. 

At first, women do not even trust themselves

Tatiana Osadci has been the director of the Caușeni Maternal Center for seven years, while the center was founded 11 years ago. Since then, over a thousand women and girls in various hardship situations and over 900 children have been assisted by the Center.

“We offer a home and support for three categories of people: survivors of domestic violence, often mothers with children, survivors and potential victims of trafficking in human beings and mother-child couples facing financial or psychological difficulties. The women in our center reach us after they have faced severe risk situations threatening their life or, in some cases, also the life of their children. There are women whose self-confidence and hope in the future have been shattered as result of their traumatic experiences; some are uncertain whether that they can keep their children as they lack shelter and basic means to provide for them. Relationships with relatives are often very poor, and ultimately, they end up either running away or are being expelled from those homes,” says Tatiana Osadci.

The center can accommodate a maximum of 19 adult women and 14 children from one to three months. During this time, they are assisted and guided to find a home, a job, but also get informed.

“Apart from various NGOs which come to support us in organizing activities, the Center specialists put together a schedule, and organize 2-3 times a week several workshops moderated by psychologists, psycho-pedagogues, lawyers, nurses, social workers. Many of these activities are focused on re-gaining or increasing women’s self-confidence, as well as providing basic information on human rights and freedoms,” says Tatiana Osadci.

“If democracy matters, then my participation is important too”

The project "Strengthening democracy in Moldova through inclusive and transparent elections", implemented by UNDP Moldova, aims to reach to as many women as Cristina Petrov as possible. Cristina will go to the next election because now she understands better why going out and vote is important for her child's future.

“This is a challenge for them. “What shall happen if I vote too?” Women and girls are asking themselves all the time. In fact, we will all vote, for the first time, under the new electoral system. But they are more nervous than others. We want women to remember and understand that if democracy matters, then their participation is important too, and what they do on Election Day is their own decision,” says Ludmila Afteni from the Association of Psychologists “Tighina”.

Source: UNDP.

By Gabriela Cuevas, President of the Inter-Parliamentary Union (IPU), and Liliane Maury Pasquier, President of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe (PACE).

On International Day for the Elimination of Violence against Women, we call on parliaments to build on the momentum of the #MeToo movement to denounce the violence happening in the corridors of legislative power.

Parliaments are the very essence of democratic governance - government for the people by the people. But in the male-dominated world of parliamentary politics, sexual harassment and abuse are rife. Today, with more women MPs exposing the extent of the problem, the entire parliamentary community needs to step up and end gender-based violence now in our workplace and beyond.

As women parliamentarians, we have heard countless stories from female colleagues of violence, abuse and harassment. We are alarmed and shaken by how endemic this behavior is - even in the most developed democracies.

A recently published report  by the IPU and PACE confirms that in Europe’s parliaments sexual misconduct and harassment are pervasive and committed with apparent impunity.

Some 85 per cent of women MPs interviewed said they have suffered psychological violence (sexist remarks, intimidation and threats, pictures published with a humiliating or sexual connotation, etc.) during their term in office. In addition, 47 per cent said they have received threats of death, rape or beating, while 25 per cent said they have been sexually harassed.

Young women MPs and women active in the fight against gender inequality and violence are often singled out for attack.

Social media is a mixed blessing when it comes to threats of violence and harassment. Many survivors are using social media to speak up, share their experience, offer support and look for ways to prevent it. But the IPU and PACE survey shows that social media is also the main channel for threats, with 58 per cent of women in parliament saying they have been the target of online sexist attacks on social networks. One interviewee described how she was harassed online, “I got an anonymous message saying, ‘We’re going to kill you. First we’re going to beat up your children. Then you will be raped, killed. Your husband and your children, we’ll get you all. You can hire bodyguards, but we know where you live. We’ll get you all.’”

Who is committing these crimes? According to the IPU and PACE study, the perpetrators of sexual harassment against women MPs, were, in 76 per cent of cases, male parliamentarian colleagues, both from their own political party and from parties opposed to their own. In 34 per cent of cases, the incidents actually occurred on parliamentary premises!

The situation is just as bad or even worse for female parliamentary staff - showing that power relations are also at play. The study shows a terrifying rate of sexual and psychological harassment and bullying targeting female parliamentary staff in Europe. Some 40 per cent of parliamentary staff interviewed said that they were the target of sexual harassment in their work. In 69 per cent of cases, the perpetrators were male MPs.

What will it take to end harassment, sexism and violence against women in parliaments? First the heads of parliamentary institutions worldwide must recognize the problem and its prevalence, say loudly and clearly that it will not be tolerated, and commit to deal with it seriously. Secondly, robust grievance procedures in which victims of sexual misconduct can have confidence must be put in place with a range of effective sanctions against the perpetrators. And lastly, MPs must take part in mandatory prevention programmes to promote gender-sensitive parliaments.

We need to be the “shining example” by confronting this issue head-on, rather than offering empty words deploring the situation but doing little to change mindsets, including among our colleagues.

Parliaments should be places of unity, trust, safety and respect. They represent democracy’s ultimate aspiration of inclusive and participatory politics for every citizen. If the fundamental human rights of women are being constantly violated in parliamentary chambers and workplaces then we, MPs worldwide, have failed our constituents – young and old, and ultimately have made a mockery of the basic tenets of democracy.

There can be no place for sexist behaviour, harassment and gender-based violence in parliament. All national parliaments are invited to join our hashtag initiative #NotInMyParliament and take action.

Source: IPU.

By Gabriela Cuevas, President of the Inter-Parliamentary Union (IPU), and Liliane Maury Pasquier, President of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe (PACE).

On International Day for the Elimination of Violence against Women, we call on parliaments to build on the momentum of the #MeToo movement to denounce the violence happening in the corridors of legislative power.

Parliaments are the very essence of democratic governance - government for the people by the people. But in the male-dominated world of parliamentary politics, sexual harassment and abuse are rife. Today, with more women MPs exposing the extent of the problem, the entire parliamentary community needs to step up and end gender-based violence now in our workplace and beyond.

As women parliamentarians, we have heard countless stories from female colleagues of violence, abuse and harassment. We are alarmed and shaken by how endemic this behavior is - even in the most developed democracies.

A recently published report  by the IPU and PACE confirms that in Europe’s parliaments sexual misconduct and harassment are pervasive and committed with apparent impunity.

Some 85 per cent of women MPs interviewed said they have suffered psychological violence (sexist remarks, intimidation and threats, pictures published with a humiliating or sexual connotation, etc.) during their term in office. In addition, 47 per cent said they have received threats of death, rape or beating, while 25 per cent said they have been sexually harassed.

Young women MPs and women active in the fight against gender inequality and violence are often singled out for attack.

Social media is a mixed blessing when it comes to threats of violence and harassment. Many survivors are using social media to speak up, share their experience, offer support and look for ways to prevent it. But the IPU and PACE survey shows that social media is also the main channel for threats, with 58 per cent of women in parliament saying they have been the target of online sexist attacks on social networks. One interviewee described how she was harassed online, “I got an anonymous message saying, ‘We’re going to kill you. First we’re going to beat up your children. Then you will be raped, killed. Your husband and your children, we’ll get you all. You can hire bodyguards, but we know where you live. We’ll get you all.’”

Who is committing these crimes? According to the IPU and PACE study, the perpetrators of sexual harassment against women MPs, were, in 76 per cent of cases, male parliamentarian colleagues, both from their own political party and from parties opposed to their own. In 34 per cent of cases, the incidents actually occurred on parliamentary premises!

The situation is just as bad or even worse for female parliamentary staff - showing that power relations are also at play. The study shows a terrifying rate of sexual and psychological harassment and bullying targeting female parliamentary staff in Europe. Some 40 per cent of parliamentary staff interviewed said that they were the target of sexual harassment in their work. In 69 per cent of cases, the perpetrators were male MPs.

What will it take to end harassment, sexism and violence against women in parliaments? First the heads of parliamentary institutions worldwide must recognize the problem and its prevalence, say loudly and clearly that it will not be tolerated, and commit to deal with it seriously. Secondly, robust grievance procedures in which victims of sexual misconduct can have confidence must be put in place with a range of effective sanctions against the perpetrators. And lastly, MPs must take part in mandatory prevention programmes to promote gender-sensitive parliaments.

We need to be the “shining example” by confronting this issue head-on, rather than offering empty words deploring the situation but doing little to change mindsets, including among our colleagues.

Parliaments should be places of unity, trust, safety and respect. They represent democracy’s ultimate aspiration of inclusive and participatory politics for every citizen. If the fundamental human rights of women are being constantly violated in parliamentary chambers and workplaces then we, MPs worldwide, have failed our constituents – young and old, and ultimately have made a mockery of the basic tenets of democracy.

There can be no place for sexist behaviour, harassment and gender-based violence in parliament. All national parliaments are invited to join our hashtag initiative #NotInMyParliament and take action.

Source: IPU.

By Gabriela Cuevas, President of the Inter-Parliamentary Union (IPU), and Liliane Maury Pasquier, President of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe (PACE).

On International Day for the Elimination of Violence against Women, we call on parliaments to build on the momentum of the #MeToo movement to denounce the violence happening in the corridors of legislative power.

Parliaments are the very essence of democratic governance - government for the people by the people. But in the male-dominated world of parliamentary politics, sexual harassment and abuse are rife. Today, with more women MPs exposing the extent of the problem, the entire parliamentary community needs to step up and end gender-based violence now in our workplace and beyond.

As women parliamentarians, we have heard countless stories from female colleagues of violence, abuse and harassment. We are alarmed and shaken by how endemic this behavior is - even in the most developed democracies.

A recently published report  by the IPU and PACE confirms that in Europe’s parliaments sexual misconduct and harassment are pervasive and committed with apparent impunity.

Some 85 per cent of women MPs interviewed said they have suffered psychological violence (sexist remarks, intimidation and threats, pictures published with a humiliating or sexual connotation, etc.) during their term in office. In addition, 47 per cent said they have received threats of death, rape or beating, while 25 per cent said they have been sexually harassed.

Young women MPs and women active in the fight against gender inequality and violence are often singled out for attack.

Social media is a mixed blessing when it comes to threats of violence and harassment. Many survivors are using social media to speak up, share their experience, offer support and look for ways to prevent it. But the IPU and PACE survey shows that social media is also the main channel for threats, with 58 per cent of women in parliament saying they have been the target of online sexist attacks on social networks. One interviewee described how she was harassed online, “I got an anonymous message saying, ‘We’re going to kill you. First we’re going to beat up your children. Then you will be raped, killed. Your husband and your children, we’ll get you all. You can hire bodyguards, but we know where you live. We’ll get you all.’”

Who is committing these crimes? According to the IPU and PACE study, the perpetrators of sexual harassment against women MPs, were, in 76 per cent of cases, male parliamentarian colleagues, both from their own political party and from parties opposed to their own. In 34 per cent of cases, the incidents actually occurred on parliamentary premises!

The situation is just as bad or even worse for female parliamentary staff - showing that power relations are also at play. The study shows a terrifying rate of sexual and psychological harassment and bullying targeting female parliamentary staff in Europe. Some 40 per cent of parliamentary staff interviewed said that they were the target of sexual harassment in their work. In 69 per cent of cases, the perpetrators were male MPs.

What will it take to end harassment, sexism and violence against women in parliaments? First the heads of parliamentary institutions worldwide must recognize the problem and its prevalence, say loudly and clearly that it will not be tolerated, and commit to deal with it seriously. Secondly, robust grievance procedures in which victims of sexual misconduct can have confidence must be put in place with a range of effective sanctions against the perpetrators. And lastly, MPs must take part in mandatory prevention programmes to promote gender-sensitive parliaments.

We need to be the “shining example” by confronting this issue head-on, rather than offering empty words deploring the situation but doing little to change mindsets, including among our colleagues.

Parliaments should be places of unity, trust, safety and respect. They represent democracy’s ultimate aspiration of inclusive and participatory politics for every citizen. If the fundamental human rights of women are being constantly violated in parliamentary chambers and workplaces then we, MPs worldwide, have failed our constituents – young and old, and ultimately have made a mockery of the basic tenets of democracy.

There can be no place for sexist behaviour, harassment and gender-based violence in parliament. All national parliaments are invited to join our hashtag initiative #NotInMyParliament and take action.

Source: IPU.

By Gabriela Cuevas, President of the Inter-Parliamentary Union (IPU), and Liliane Maury Pasquier, President of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe (PACE).

On International Day for the Elimination of Violence against Women, we call on parliaments to build on the momentum of the #MeToo movement to denounce the violence happening in the corridors of legislative power.

Parliaments are the very essence of democratic governance - government for the people by the people. But in the male-dominated world of parliamentary politics, sexual harassment and abuse are rife. Today, with more women MPs exposing the extent of the problem, the entire parliamentary community needs to step up and end gender-based violence now in our workplace and beyond.

As women parliamentarians, we have heard countless stories from female colleagues of violence, abuse and harassment. We are alarmed and shaken by how endemic this behavior is - even in the most developed democracies.

A recently published report  by the IPU and PACE confirms that in Europe’s parliaments sexual misconduct and harassment are pervasive and committed with apparent impunity.

Some 85 per cent of women MPs interviewed said they have suffered psychological violence (sexist remarks, intimidation and threats, pictures published with a humiliating or sexual connotation, etc.) during their term in office. In addition, 47 per cent said they have received threats of death, rape or beating, while 25 per cent said they have been sexually harassed.

Young women MPs and women active in the fight against gender inequality and violence are often singled out for attack.

Social media is a mixed blessing when it comes to threats of violence and harassment. Many survivors are using social media to speak up, share their experience, offer support and look for ways to prevent it. But the IPU and PACE survey shows that social media is also the main channel for threats, with 58 per cent of women in parliament saying they have been the target of online sexist attacks on social networks. One interviewee described how she was harassed online, “I got an anonymous message saying, ‘We’re going to kill you. First we’re going to beat up your children. Then you will be raped, killed. Your husband and your children, we’ll get you all. You can hire bodyguards, but we know where you live. We’ll get you all.’”

Who is committing these crimes? According to the IPU and PACE study, the perpetrators of sexual harassment against women MPs, were, in 76 per cent of cases, male parliamentarian colleagues, both from their own political party and from parties opposed to their own. In 34 per cent of cases, the incidents actually occurred on parliamentary premises!

The situation is just as bad or even worse for female parliamentary staff - showing that power relations are also at play. The study shows a terrifying rate of sexual and psychological harassment and bullying targeting female parliamentary staff in Europe. Some 40 per cent of parliamentary staff interviewed said that they were the target of sexual harassment in their work. In 69 per cent of cases, the perpetrators were male MPs.

What will it take to end harassment, sexism and violence against women in parliaments? First the heads of parliamentary institutions worldwide must recognize the problem and its prevalence, say loudly and clearly that it will not be tolerated, and commit to deal with it seriously. Secondly, robust grievance procedures in which victims of sexual misconduct can have confidence must be put in place with a range of effective sanctions against the perpetrators. And lastly, MPs must take part in mandatory prevention programmes to promote gender-sensitive parliaments.

We need to be the “shining example” by confronting this issue head-on, rather than offering empty words deploring the situation but doing little to change mindsets, including among our colleagues.

Parliaments should be places of unity, trust, safety and respect. They represent democracy’s ultimate aspiration of inclusive and participatory politics for every citizen. If the fundamental human rights of women are being constantly violated in parliamentary chambers and workplaces then we, MPs worldwide, have failed our constituents – young and old, and ultimately have made a mockery of the basic tenets of democracy.

There can be no place for sexist behaviour, harassment and gender-based violence in parliament. All national parliaments are invited to join our hashtag initiative #NotInMyParliament and take action.

Source: IPU.

By Gabriela Cuevas, President of the Inter-Parliamentary Union (IPU), and Liliane Maury Pasquier, President of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe (PACE).

On International Day for the Elimination of Violence against Women, we call on parliaments to build on the momentum of the #MeToo movement to denounce the violence happening in the corridors of legislative power.

Parliaments are the very essence of democratic governance - government for the people by the people. But in the male-dominated world of parliamentary politics, sexual harassment and abuse are rife. Today, with more women MPs exposing the extent of the problem, the entire parliamentary community needs to step up and end gender-based violence now in our workplace and beyond.

As women parliamentarians, we have heard countless stories from female colleagues of violence, abuse and harassment. We are alarmed and shaken by how endemic this behavior is - even in the most developed democracies.

A recently published report  by the IPU and PACE confirms that in Europe’s parliaments sexual misconduct and harassment are pervasive and committed with apparent impunity.

Some 85 per cent of women MPs interviewed said they have suffered psychological violence (sexist remarks, intimidation and threats, pictures published with a humiliating or sexual connotation, etc.) during their term in office. In addition, 47 per cent said they have received threats of death, rape or beating, while 25 per cent said they have been sexually harassed.

Young women MPs and women active in the fight against gender inequality and violence are often singled out for attack.

Social media is a mixed blessing when it comes to threats of violence and harassment. Many survivors are using social media to speak up, share their experience, offer support and look for ways to prevent it. But the IPU and PACE survey shows that social media is also the main channel for threats, with 58 per cent of women in parliament saying they have been the target of online sexist attacks on social networks. One interviewee described how she was harassed online, “I got an anonymous message saying, ‘We’re going to kill you. First we’re going to beat up your children. Then you will be raped, killed. Your husband and your children, we’ll get you all. You can hire bodyguards, but we know where you live. We’ll get you all.’”

Who is committing these crimes? According to the IPU and PACE study, the perpetrators of sexual harassment against women MPs, were, in 76 per cent of cases, male parliamentarian colleagues, both from their own political party and from parties opposed to their own. In 34 per cent of cases, the incidents actually occurred on parliamentary premises!

The situation is just as bad or even worse for female parliamentary staff - showing that power relations are also at play. The study shows a terrifying rate of sexual and psychological harassment and bullying targeting female parliamentary staff in Europe. Some 40 per cent of parliamentary staff interviewed said that they were the target of sexual harassment in their work. In 69 per cent of cases, the perpetrators were male MPs.

What will it take to end harassment, sexism and violence against women in parliaments? First the heads of parliamentary institutions worldwide must recognize the problem and its prevalence, say loudly and clearly that it will not be tolerated, and commit to deal with it seriously. Secondly, robust grievance procedures in which victims of sexual misconduct can have confidence must be put in place with a range of effective sanctions against the perpetrators. And lastly, MPs must take part in mandatory prevention programmes to promote gender-sensitive parliaments.

We need to be the “shining example” by confronting this issue head-on, rather than offering empty words deploring the situation but doing little to change mindsets, including among our colleagues.

Parliaments should be places of unity, trust, safety and respect. They represent democracy’s ultimate aspiration of inclusive and participatory politics for every citizen. If the fundamental human rights of women are being constantly violated in parliamentary chambers and workplaces then we, MPs worldwide, have failed our constituents – young and old, and ultimately have made a mockery of the basic tenets of democracy.

There can be no place for sexist behaviour, harassment and gender-based violence in parliament. All national parliaments are invited to join our hashtag initiative #NotInMyParliament and take action.

Source: IPU.

By Gabriela Cuevas, President of the Inter-Parliamentary Union (IPU), and Liliane Maury Pasquier, President of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe (PACE).

On International Day for the Elimination of Violence against Women, we call on parliaments to build on the momentum of the #MeToo movement to denounce the violence happening in the corridors of legislative power.

Parliaments are the very essence of democratic governance - government for the people by the people. But in the male-dominated world of parliamentary politics, sexual harassment and abuse are rife. Today, with more women MPs exposing the extent of the problem, the entire parliamentary community needs to step up and end gender-based violence now in our workplace and beyond.

As women parliamentarians, we have heard countless stories from female colleagues of violence, abuse and harassment. We are alarmed and shaken by how endemic this behavior is - even in the most developed democracies.

A recently published report  by the IPU and PACE confirms that in Europe’s parliaments sexual misconduct and harassment are pervasive and committed with apparent impunity.

Some 85 per cent of women MPs interviewed said they have suffered psychological violence (sexist remarks, intimidation and threats, pictures published with a humiliating or sexual connotation, etc.) during their term in office. In addition, 47 per cent said they have received threats of death, rape or beating, while 25 per cent said they have been sexually harassed.

Young women MPs and women active in the fight against gender inequality and violence are often singled out for attack.

Social media is a mixed blessing when it comes to threats of violence and harassment. Many survivors are using social media to speak up, share their experience, offer support and look for ways to prevent it. But the IPU and PACE survey shows that social media is also the main channel for threats, with 58 per cent of women in parliament saying they have been the target of online sexist attacks on social networks. One interviewee described how she was harassed online, “I got an anonymous message saying, ‘We’re going to kill you. First we’re going to beat up your children. Then you will be raped, killed. Your husband and your children, we’ll get you all. You can hire bodyguards, but we know where you live. We’ll get you all.’”

Who is committing these crimes? According to the IPU and PACE study, the perpetrators of sexual harassment against women MPs, were, in 76 per cent of cases, male parliamentarian colleagues, both from their own political party and from parties opposed to their own. In 34 per cent of cases, the incidents actually occurred on parliamentary premises!

The situation is just as bad or even worse for female parliamentary staff - showing that power relations are also at play. The study shows a terrifying rate of sexual and psychological harassment and bullying targeting female parliamentary staff in Europe. Some 40 per cent of parliamentary staff interviewed said that they were the target of sexual harassment in their work. In 69 per cent of cases, the perpetrators were male MPs.

What will it take to end harassment, sexism and violence against women in parliaments? First the heads of parliamentary institutions worldwide must recognize the problem and its prevalence, say loudly and clearly that it will not be tolerated, and commit to deal with it seriously. Secondly, robust grievance procedures in which victims of sexual misconduct can have confidence must be put in place with a range of effective sanctions against the perpetrators. And lastly, MPs must take part in mandatory prevention programmes to promote gender-sensitive parliaments.

We need to be the “shining example” by confronting this issue head-on, rather than offering empty words deploring the situation but doing little to change mindsets, including among our colleagues.

Parliaments should be places of unity, trust, safety and respect. They represent democracy’s ultimate aspiration of inclusive and participatory politics for every citizen. If the fundamental human rights of women are being constantly violated in parliamentary chambers and workplaces then we, MPs worldwide, have failed our constituents – young and old, and ultimately have made a mockery of the basic tenets of democracy.

There can be no place for sexist behaviour, harassment and gender-based violence in parliament. All national parliaments are invited to join our hashtag initiative #NotInMyParliament and take action.

Source: IPU.

By Gabriela Cuevas, President of the Inter-Parliamentary Union (IPU), and Liliane Maury Pasquier, President of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe (PACE).

On International Day for the Elimination of Violence against Women, we call on parliaments to build on the momentum of the #MeToo movement to denounce the violence happening in the corridors of legislative power.

Parliaments are the very essence of democratic governance - government for the people by the people. But in the male-dominated world of parliamentary politics, sexual harassment and abuse are rife. Today, with more women MPs exposing the extent of the problem, the entire parliamentary community needs to step up and end gender-based violence now in our workplace and beyond.

As women parliamentarians, we have heard countless stories from female colleagues of violence, abuse and harassment. We are alarmed and shaken by how endemic this behavior is - even in the most developed democracies.

A recently published report  by the IPU and PACE confirms that in Europe’s parliaments sexual misconduct and harassment are pervasive and committed with apparent impunity.

Some 85 per cent of women MPs interviewed said they have suffered psychological violence (sexist remarks, intimidation and threats, pictures published with a humiliating or sexual connotation, etc.) during their term in office. In addition, 47 per cent said they have received threats of death, rape or beating, while 25 per cent said they have been sexually harassed.

Young women MPs and women active in the fight against gender inequality and violence are often singled out for attack.

Social media is a mixed blessing when it comes to threats of violence and harassment. Many survivors are using social media to speak up, share their experience, offer support and look for ways to prevent it. But the IPU and PACE survey shows that social media is also the main channel for threats, with 58 per cent of women in parliament saying they have been the target of online sexist attacks on social networks. One interviewee described how she was harassed online, “I got an anonymous message saying, ‘We’re going to kill you. First we’re going to beat up your children. Then you will be raped, killed. Your husband and your children, we’ll get you all. You can hire bodyguards, but we know where you live. We’ll get you all.’”

Who is committing these crimes? According to the IPU and PACE study, the perpetrators of sexual harassment against women MPs, were, in 76 per cent of cases, male parliamentarian colleagues, both from their own political party and from parties opposed to their own. In 34 per cent of cases, the incidents actually occurred on parliamentary premises!

The situation is just as bad or even worse for female parliamentary staff - showing that power relations are also at play. The study shows a terrifying rate of sexual and psychological harassment and bullying targeting female parliamentary staff in Europe. Some 40 per cent of parliamentary staff interviewed said that they were the target of sexual harassment in their work. In 69 per cent of cases, the perpetrators were male MPs.

What will it take to end harassment, sexism and violence against women in parliaments? First the heads of parliamentary institutions worldwide must recognize the problem and its prevalence, say loudly and clearly that it will not be tolerated, and commit to deal with it seriously. Secondly, robust grievance procedures in which victims of sexual misconduct can have confidence must be put in place with a range of effective sanctions against the perpetrators. And lastly, MPs must take part in mandatory prevention programmes to promote gender-sensitive parliaments.

We need to be the “shining example” by confronting this issue head-on, rather than offering empty words deploring the situation but doing little to change mindsets, including among our colleagues.

Parliaments should be places of unity, trust, safety and respect. They represent democracy’s ultimate aspiration of inclusive and participatory politics for every citizen. If the fundamental human rights of women are being constantly violated in parliamentary chambers and workplaces then we, MPs worldwide, have failed our constituents – young and old, and ultimately have made a mockery of the basic tenets of democracy.

There can be no place for sexist behaviour, harassment and gender-based violence in parliament. All national parliaments are invited to join our hashtag initiative #NotInMyParliament and take action.

Source: IPU.

By Gabriela Cuevas, President of the Inter-Parliamentary Union (IPU), and Liliane Maury Pasquier, President of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe (PACE).

On International Day for the Elimination of Violence against Women, we call on parliaments to build on the momentum of the #MeToo movement to denounce the violence happening in the corridors of legislative power.

Parliaments are the very essence of democratic governance - government for the people by the people. But in the male-dominated world of parliamentary politics, sexual harassment and abuse are rife. Today, with more women MPs exposing the extent of the problem, the entire parliamentary community needs to step up and end gender-based violence now in our workplace and beyond.

As women parliamentarians, we have heard countless stories from female colleagues of violence, abuse and harassment. We are alarmed and shaken by how endemic this behavior is - even in the most developed democracies.

A recently published report  by the IPU and PACE confirms that in Europe’s parliaments sexual misconduct and harassment are pervasive and committed with apparent impunity.

Some 85 per cent of women MPs interviewed said they have suffered psychological violence (sexist remarks, intimidation and threats, pictures published with a humiliating or sexual connotation, etc.) during their term in office. In addition, 47 per cent said they have received threats of death, rape or beating, while 25 per cent said they have been sexually harassed.

Young women MPs and women active in the fight against gender inequality and violence are often singled out for attack.

Social media is a mixed blessing when it comes to threats of violence and harassment. Many survivors are using social media to speak up, share their experience, offer support and look for ways to prevent it. But the IPU and PACE survey shows that social media is also the main channel for threats, with 58 per cent of women in parliament saying they have been the target of online sexist attacks on social networks. One interviewee described how she was harassed online, “I got an anonymous message saying, ‘We’re going to kill you. First we’re going to beat up your children. Then you will be raped, killed. Your husband and your children, we’ll get you all. You can hire bodyguards, but we know where you live. We’ll get you all.’”

Who is committing these crimes? According to the IPU and PACE study, the perpetrators of sexual harassment against women MPs, were, in 76 per cent of cases, male parliamentarian colleagues, both from their own political party and from parties opposed to their own. In 34 per cent of cases, the incidents actually occurred on parliamentary premises!

The situation is just as bad or even worse for female parliamentary staff - showing that power relations are also at play. The study shows a terrifying rate of sexual and psychological harassment and bullying targeting female parliamentary staff in Europe. Some 40 per cent of parliamentary staff interviewed said that they were the target of sexual harassment in their work. In 69 per cent of cases, the perpetrators were male MPs.

What will it take to end harassment, sexism and violence against women in parliaments? First the heads of parliamentary institutions worldwide must recognize the problem and its prevalence, say loudly and clearly that it will not be tolerated, and commit to deal with it seriously. Secondly, robust grievance procedures in which victims of sexual misconduct can have confidence must be put in place with a range of effective sanctions against the perpetrators. And lastly, MPs must take part in mandatory prevention programmes to promote gender-sensitive parliaments.

We need to be the “shining example” by confronting this issue head-on, rather than offering empty words deploring the situation but doing little to change mindsets, including among our colleagues.

Parliaments should be places of unity, trust, safety and respect. They represent democracy’s ultimate aspiration of inclusive and participatory politics for every citizen. If the fundamental human rights of women are being constantly violated in parliamentary chambers and workplaces then we, MPs worldwide, have failed our constituents – young and old, and ultimately have made a mockery of the basic tenets of democracy.

There can be no place for sexist behaviour, harassment and gender-based violence in parliament. All national parliaments are invited to join our hashtag initiative #NotInMyParliament and take action.

Source: IPU.

By Gabriela Cuevas, President of the Inter-Parliamentary Union (IPU), and Liliane Maury Pasquier, President of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe (PACE).

On International Day for the Elimination of Violence against Women, we call on parliaments to build on the momentum of the #MeToo movement to denounce the violence happening in the corridors of legislative power.

Parliaments are the very essence of democratic governance - government for the people by the people. But in the male-dominated world of parliamentary politics, sexual harassment and abuse are rife. Today, with more women MPs exposing the extent of the problem, the entire parliamentary community needs to step up and end gender-based violence now in our workplace and beyond.

As women parliamentarians, we have heard countless stories from female colleagues of violence, abuse and harassment. We are alarmed and shaken by how endemic this behavior is - even in the most developed democracies.

A recently published report  by the IPU and PACE confirms that in Europe’s parliaments sexual misconduct and harassment are pervasive and committed with apparent impunity.

Some 85 per cent of women MPs interviewed said they have suffered psychological violence (sexist remarks, intimidation and threats, pictures published with a humiliating or sexual connotation, etc.) during their term in office. In addition, 47 per cent said they have received threats of death, rape or beating, while 25 per cent said they have been sexually harassed.

Young women MPs and women active in the fight against gender inequality and violence are often singled out for attack.

Social media is a mixed blessing when it comes to threats of violence and harassment. Many survivors are using social media to speak up, share their experience, offer support and look for ways to prevent it. But the IPU and PACE survey shows that social media is also the main channel for threats, with 58 per cent of women in parliament saying they have been the target of online sexist attacks on social networks. One interviewee described how she was harassed online, “I got an anonymous message saying, ‘We’re going to kill you. First we’re going to beat up your children. Then you will be raped, killed. Your husband and your children, we’ll get you all. You can hire bodyguards, but we know where you live. We’ll get you all.’”

Who is committing these crimes? According to the IPU and PACE study, the perpetrators of sexual harassment against women MPs, were, in 76 per cent of cases, male parliamentarian colleagues, both from their own political party and from parties opposed to their own. In 34 per cent of cases, the incidents actually occurred on parliamentary premises!

The situation is just as bad or even worse for female parliamentary staff - showing that power relations are also at play. The study shows a terrifying rate of sexual and psychological harassment and bullying targeting female parliamentary staff in Europe. Some 40 per cent of parliamentary staff interviewed said that they were the target of sexual harassment in their work. In 69 per cent of cases, the perpetrators were male MPs.

What will it take to end harassment, sexism and violence against women in parliaments? First the heads of parliamentary institutions worldwide must recognize the problem and its prevalence, say loudly and clearly that it will not be tolerated, and commit to deal with it seriously. Secondly, robust grievance procedures in which victims of sexual misconduct can have confidence must be put in place with a range of effective sanctions against the perpetrators. And lastly, MPs must take part in mandatory prevention programmes to promote gender-sensitive parliaments.

We need to be the “shining example” by confronting this issue head-on, rather than offering empty words deploring the situation but doing little to change mindsets, including among our colleagues.

Parliaments should be places of unity, trust, safety and respect. They represent democracy’s ultimate aspiration of inclusive and participatory politics for every citizen. If the fundamental human rights of women are being constantly violated in parliamentary chambers and workplaces then we, MPs worldwide, have failed our constituents – young and old, and ultimately have made a mockery of the basic tenets of democracy.

There can be no place for sexist behaviour, harassment and gender-based violence in parliament. All national parliaments are invited to join our hashtag initiative #NotInMyParliament and take action.

Source: IPU.

By Gabriela Cuevas, President of the Inter-Parliamentary Union (IPU), and Liliane Maury Pasquier, President of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe (PACE).

On International Day for the Elimination of Violence against Women, we call on parliaments to build on the momentum of the #MeToo movement to denounce the violence happening in the corridors of legislative power.

Parliaments are the very essence of democratic governance - government for the people by the people. But in the male-dominated world of parliamentary politics, sexual harassment and abuse are rife. Today, with more women MPs exposing the extent of the problem, the entire parliamentary community needs to step up and end gender-based violence now in our workplace and beyond.

As women parliamentarians, we have heard countless stories from female colleagues of violence, abuse and harassment. We are alarmed and shaken by how endemic this behavior is - even in the most developed democracies.

A recently published report  by the IPU and PACE confirms that in Europe’s parliaments sexual misconduct and harassment are pervasive and committed with apparent impunity.

Some 85 per cent of women MPs interviewed said they have suffered psychological violence (sexist remarks, intimidation and threats, pictures published with a humiliating or sexual connotation, etc.) during their term in office. In addition, 47 per cent said they have received threats of death, rape or beating, while 25 per cent said they have been sexually harassed.

Young women MPs and women active in the fight against gender inequality and violence are often singled out for attack.

Social media is a mixed blessing when it comes to threats of violence and harassment. Many survivors are using social media to speak up, share their experience, offer support and look for ways to prevent it. But the IPU and PACE survey shows that social media is also the main channel for threats, with 58 per cent of women in parliament saying they have been the target of online sexist attacks on social networks. One interviewee described how she was harassed online, “I got an anonymous message saying, ‘We’re going to kill you. First we’re going to beat up your children. Then you will be raped, killed. Your husband and your children, we’ll get you all. You can hire bodyguards, but we know where you live. We’ll get you all.’”

Who is committing these crimes? According to the IPU and PACE study, the perpetrators of sexual harassment against women MPs, were, in 76 per cent of cases, male parliamentarian colleagues, both from their own political party and from parties opposed to their own. In 34 per cent of cases, the incidents actually occurred on parliamentary premises!

The situation is just as bad or even worse for female parliamentary staff - showing that power relations are also at play. The study shows a terrifying rate of sexual and psychological harassment and bullying targeting female parliamentary staff in Europe. Some 40 per cent of parliamentary staff interviewed said that they were the target of sexual harassment in their work. In 69 per cent of cases, the perpetrators were male MPs.

What will it take to end harassment, sexism and violence against women in parliaments? First the heads of parliamentary institutions worldwide must recognize the problem and its prevalence, say loudly and clearly that it will not be tolerated, and commit to deal with it seriously. Secondly, robust grievance procedures in which victims of sexual misconduct can have confidence must be put in place with a range of effective sanctions against the perpetrators. And lastly, MPs must take part in mandatory prevention programmes to promote gender-sensitive parliaments.

We need to be the “shining example” by confronting this issue head-on, rather than offering empty words deploring the situation but doing little to change mindsets, including among our colleagues.

Parliaments should be places of unity, trust, safety and respect. They represent democracy’s ultimate aspiration of inclusive and participatory politics for every citizen. If the fundamental human rights of women are being constantly violated in parliamentary chambers and workplaces then we, MPs worldwide, have failed our constituents – young and old, and ultimately have made a mockery of the basic tenets of democracy.

There can be no place for sexist behaviour, harassment and gender-based violence in parliament. All national parliaments are invited to join our hashtag initiative #NotInMyParliament and take action.

Source: IPU.

By Gabriela Cuevas, President of the Inter-Parliamentary Union (IPU), and Liliane Maury Pasquier, President of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe (PACE).

On International Day for the Elimination of Violence against Women, we call on parliaments to build on the momentum of the #MeToo movement to denounce the violence happening in the corridors of legislative power.

Parliaments are the very essence of democratic governance - government for the people by the people. But in the male-dominated world of parliamentary politics, sexual harassment and abuse are rife. Today, with more women MPs exposing the extent of the problem, the entire parliamentary community needs to step up and end gender-based violence now in our workplace and beyond.

As women parliamentarians, we have heard countless stories from female colleagues of violence, abuse and harassment. We are alarmed and shaken by how endemic this behavior is - even in the most developed democracies.

A recently published report  by the IPU and PACE confirms that in Europe’s parliaments sexual misconduct and harassment are pervasive and committed with apparent impunity.

Some 85 per cent of women MPs interviewed said they have suffered psychological violence (sexist remarks, intimidation and threats, pictures published with a humiliating or sexual connotation, etc.) during their term in office. In addition, 47 per cent said they have received threats of death, rape or beating, while 25 per cent said they have been sexually harassed.

Young women MPs and women active in the fight against gender inequality and violence are often singled out for attack.

Social media is a mixed blessing when it comes to threats of violence and harassment. Many survivors are using social media to speak up, share their experience, offer support and look for ways to prevent it. But the IPU and PACE survey shows that social media is also the main channel for threats, with 58 per cent of women in parliament saying they have been the target of online sexist attacks on social networks. One interviewee described how she was harassed online, “I got an anonymous message saying, ‘We’re going to kill you. First we’re going to beat up your children. Then you will be raped, killed. Your husband and your children, we’ll get you all. You can hire bodyguards, but we know where you live. We’ll get you all.’”

Who is committing these crimes? According to the IPU and PACE study, the perpetrators of sexual harassment against women MPs, were, in 76 per cent of cases, male parliamentarian colleagues, both from their own political party and from parties opposed to their own. In 34 per cent of cases, the incidents actually occurred on parliamentary premises!

The situation is just as bad or even worse for female parliamentary staff - showing that power relations are also at play. The study shows a terrifying rate of sexual and psychological harassment and bullying targeting female parliamentary staff in Europe. Some 40 per cent of parliamentary staff interviewed said that they were the target of sexual harassment in their work. In 69 per cent of cases, the perpetrators were male MPs.

What will it take to end harassment, sexism and violence against women in parliaments? First the heads of parliamentary institutions worldwide must recognize the problem and its prevalence, say loudly and clearly that it will not be tolerated, and commit to deal with it seriously. Secondly, robust grievance procedures in which victims of sexual misconduct can have confidence must be put in place with a range of effective sanctions against the perpetrators. And lastly, MPs must take part in mandatory prevention programmes to promote gender-sensitive parliaments.

We need to be the “shining example” by confronting this issue head-on, rather than offering empty words deploring the situation but doing little to change mindsets, including among our colleagues.

Parliaments should be places of unity, trust, safety and respect. They represent democracy’s ultimate aspiration of inclusive and participatory politics for every citizen. If the fundamental human rights of women are being constantly violated in parliamentary chambers and workplaces then we, MPs worldwide, have failed our constituents – young and old, and ultimately have made a mockery of the basic tenets of democracy.

There can be no place for sexist behaviour, harassment and gender-based violence in parliament. All national parliaments are invited to join our hashtag initiative #NotInMyParliament and take action.

Source: IPU.

By Gabriela Cuevas, President of the Inter-Parliamentary Union (IPU), and Liliane Maury Pasquier, President of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe (PACE).

On International Day for the Elimination of Violence against Women, we call on parliaments to build on the momentum of the #MeToo movement to denounce the violence happening in the corridors of legislative power.

Parliaments are the very essence of democratic governance - government for the people by the people. But in the male-dominated world of parliamentary politics, sexual harassment and abuse are rife. Today, with more women MPs exposing the extent of the problem, the entire parliamentary community needs to step up and end gender-based violence now in our workplace and beyond.

As women parliamentarians, we have heard countless stories from female colleagues of violence, abuse and harassment. We are alarmed and shaken by how endemic this behavior is - even in the most developed democracies.

A recently published report  by the IPU and PACE confirms that in Europe’s parliaments sexual misconduct and harassment are pervasive and committed with apparent impunity.

Some 85 per cent of women MPs interviewed said they have suffered psychological violence (sexist remarks, intimidation and threats, pictures published with a humiliating or sexual connotation, etc.) during their term in office. In addition, 47 per cent said they have received threats of death, rape or beating, while 25 per cent said they have been sexually harassed.

Young women MPs and women active in the fight against gender inequality and violence are often singled out for attack.

Social media is a mixed blessing when it comes to threats of violence and harassment. Many survivors are using social media to speak up, share their experience, offer support and look for ways to prevent it. But the IPU and PACE survey shows that social media is also the main channel for threats, with 58 per cent of women in parliament saying they have been the target of online sexist attacks on social networks. One interviewee described how she was harassed online, “I got an anonymous message saying, ‘We’re going to kill you. First we’re going to beat up your children. Then you will be raped, killed. Your husband and your children, we’ll get you all. You can hire bodyguards, but we know where you live. We’ll get you all.’”

Who is committing these crimes? According to the IPU and PACE study, the perpetrators of sexual harassment against women MPs, were, in 76 per cent of cases, male parliamentarian colleagues, both from their own political party and from parties opposed to their own. In 34 per cent of cases, the incidents actually occurred on parliamentary premises!

The situation is just as bad or even worse for female parliamentary staff - showing that power relations are also at play. The study shows a terrifying rate of sexual and psychological harassment and bullying targeting female parliamentary staff in Europe. Some 40 per cent of parliamentary staff interviewed said that they were the target of sexual harassment in their work. In 69 per cent of cases, the perpetrators were male MPs.

What will it take to end harassment, sexism and violence against women in parliaments? First the heads of parliamentary institutions worldwide must recognize the problem and its prevalence, say loudly and clearly that it will not be tolerated, and commit to deal with it seriously. Secondly, robust grievance procedures in which victims of sexual misconduct can have confidence must be put in place with a range of effective sanctions against the perpetrators. And lastly, MPs must take part in mandatory prevention programmes to promote gender-sensitive parliaments.

We need to be the “shining example” by confronting this issue head-on, rather than offering empty words deploring the situation but doing little to change mindsets, including among our colleagues.

Parliaments should be places of unity, trust, safety and respect. They represent democracy’s ultimate aspiration of inclusive and participatory politics for every citizen. If the fundamental human rights of women are being constantly violated in parliamentary chambers and workplaces then we, MPs worldwide, have failed our constituents – young and old, and ultimately have made a mockery of the basic tenets of democracy.

There can be no place for sexist behaviour, harassment and gender-based violence in parliament. All national parliaments are invited to join our hashtag initiative #NotInMyParliament and take action.

Source: IPU.

By Gabriela Cuevas, President of the Inter-Parliamentary Union (IPU), and Liliane Maury Pasquier, President of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe (PACE).

On International Day for the Elimination of Violence against Women, we call on parliaments to build on the momentum of the #MeToo movement to denounce the violence happening in the corridors of legislative power.

Parliaments are the very essence of democratic governance - government for the people by the people. But in the male-dominated world of parliamentary politics, sexual harassment and abuse are rife. Today, with more women MPs exposing the extent of the problem, the entire parliamentary community needs to step up and end gender-based violence now in our workplace and beyond.

As women parliamentarians, we have heard countless stories from female colleagues of violence, abuse and harassment. We are alarmed and shaken by how endemic this behavior is - even in the most developed democracies.

A recently published report  by the IPU and PACE confirms that in Europe’s parliaments sexual misconduct and harassment are pervasive and committed with apparent impunity.

Some 85 per cent of women MPs interviewed said they have suffered psychological violence (sexist remarks, intimidation and threats, pictures published with a humiliating or sexual connotation, etc.) during their term in office. In addition, 47 per cent said they have received threats of death, rape or beating, while 25 per cent said they have been sexually harassed.

Young women MPs and women active in the fight against gender inequality and violence are often singled out for attack.

Social media is a mixed blessing when it comes to threats of violence and harassment. Many survivors are using social media to speak up, share their experience, offer support and look for ways to prevent it. But the IPU and PACE survey shows that social media is also the main channel for threats, with 58 per cent of women in parliament saying they have been the target of online sexist attacks on social networks. One interviewee described how she was harassed online, “I got an anonymous message saying, ‘We’re going to kill you. First we’re going to beat up your children. Then you will be raped, killed. Your husband and your children, we’ll get you all. You can hire bodyguards, but we know where you live. We’ll get you all.’”

Who is committing these crimes? According to the IPU and PACE study, the perpetrators of sexual harassment against women MPs, were, in 76 per cent of cases, male parliamentarian colleagues, both from their own political party and from parties opposed to their own. In 34 per cent of cases, the incidents actually occurred on parliamentary premises!

The situation is just as bad or even worse for female parliamentary staff - showing that power relations are also at play. The study shows a terrifying rate of sexual and psychological harassment and bullying targeting female parliamentary staff in Europe. Some 40 per cent of parliamentary staff interviewed said that they were the target of sexual harassment in their work. In 69 per cent of cases, the perpetrators were male MPs.

What will it take to end harassment, sexism and violence against women in parliaments? First the heads of parliamentary institutions worldwide must recognize the problem and its prevalence, say loudly and clearly that it will not be tolerated, and commit to deal with it seriously. Secondly, robust grievance procedures in which victims of sexual misconduct can have confidence must be put in place with a range of effective sanctions against the perpetrators. And lastly, MPs must take part in mandatory prevention programmes to promote gender-sensitive parliaments.

We need to be the “shining example” by confronting this issue head-on, rather than offering empty words deploring the situation but doing little to change mindsets, including among our colleagues.

Parliaments should be places of unity, trust, safety and respect. They represent democracy’s ultimate aspiration of inclusive and participatory politics for every citizen. If the fundamental human rights of women are being constantly violated in parliamentary chambers and workplaces then we, MPs worldwide, have failed our constituents – young and old, and ultimately have made a mockery of the basic tenets of democracy.

There can be no place for sexist behaviour, harassment and gender-based violence in parliament. All national parliaments are invited to join our hashtag initiative #NotInMyParliament and take action.

Source: IPU.

By Gabriela Cuevas, President of the Inter-Parliamentary Union (IPU), and Liliane Maury Pasquier, President of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe (PACE).

On International Day for the Elimination of Violence against Women, we call on parliaments to build on the momentum of the #MeToo movement to denounce the violence happening in the corridors of legislative power.

Parliaments are the very essence of democratic governance - government for the people by the people. But in the male-dominated world of parliamentary politics, sexual harassment and abuse are rife. Today, with more women MPs exposing the extent of the problem, the entire parliamentary community needs to step up and end gender-based violence now in our workplace and beyond.

As women parliamentarians, we have heard countless stories from female colleagues of violence, abuse and harassment. We are alarmed and shaken by how endemic this behavior is - even in the most developed democracies.

A recently published report  by the IPU and PACE confirms that in Europe’s parliaments sexual misconduct and harassment are pervasive and committed with apparent impunity.

Some 85 per cent of women MPs interviewed said they have suffered psychological violence (sexist remarks, intimidation and threats, pictures published with a humiliating or sexual connotation, etc.) during their term in office. In addition, 47 per cent said they have received threats of death, rape or beating, while 25 per cent said they have been sexually harassed.

Young women MPs and women active in the fight against gender inequality and violence are often singled out for attack.

Social media is a mixed blessing when it comes to threats of violence and harassment. Many survivors are using social media to speak up, share their experience, offer support and look for ways to prevent it. But the IPU and PACE survey shows that social media is also the main channel for threats, with 58 per cent of women in parliament saying they have been the target of online sexist attacks on social networks. One interviewee described how she was harassed online, “I got an anonymous message saying, ‘We’re going to kill you. First we’re going to beat up your children. Then you will be raped, killed. Your husband and your children, we’ll get you all. You can hire bodyguards, but we know where you live. We’ll get you all.’”

Who is committing these crimes? According to the IPU and PACE study, the perpetrators of sexual harassment against women MPs, were, in 76 per cent of cases, male parliamentarian colleagues, both from their own political party and from parties opposed to their own. In 34 per cent of cases, the incidents actually occurred on parliamentary premises!

The situation is just as bad or even worse for female parliamentary staff - showing that power relations are also at play. The study shows a terrifying rate of sexual and psychological harassment and bullying targeting female parliamentary staff in Europe. Some 40 per cent of parliamentary staff interviewed said that they were the target of sexual harassment in their work. In 69 per cent of cases, the perpetrators were male MPs.

What will it take to end harassment, sexism and violence against women in parliaments? First the heads of parliamentary institutions worldwide must recognize the problem and its prevalence, say loudly and clearly that it will not be tolerated, and commit to deal with it seriously. Secondly, robust grievance procedures in which victims of sexual misconduct can have confidence must be put in place with a range of effective sanctions against the perpetrators. And lastly, MPs must take part in mandatory prevention programmes to promote gender-sensitive parliaments.

We need to be the “shining example” by confronting this issue head-on, rather than offering empty words deploring the situation but doing little to change mindsets, including among our colleagues.

Parliaments should be places of unity, trust, safety and respect. They represent democracy’s ultimate aspiration of inclusive and participatory politics for every citizen. If the fundamental human rights of women are being constantly violated in parliamentary chambers and workplaces then we, MPs worldwide, have failed our constituents – young and old, and ultimately have made a mockery of the basic tenets of democracy.

There can be no place for sexist behaviour, harassment and gender-based violence in parliament. All national parliaments are invited to join our hashtag initiative #NotInMyParliament and take action.

Source: IPU.

By Gabriela Cuevas, President of the Inter-Parliamentary Union (IPU), and Liliane Maury Pasquier, President of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe (PACE).

On International Day for the Elimination of Violence against Women, we call on parliaments to build on the momentum of the #MeToo movement to denounce the violence happening in the corridors of legislative power.

Parliaments are the very essence of democratic governance - government for the people by the people. But in the male-dominated world of parliamentary politics, sexual harassment and abuse are rife. Today, with more women MPs exposing the extent of the problem, the entire parliamentary community needs to step up and end gender-based violence now in our workplace and beyond.

As women parliamentarians, we have heard countless stories from female colleagues of violence, abuse and harassment. We are alarmed and shaken by how endemic this behavior is - even in the most developed democracies.

A recently published report  by the IPU and PACE confirms that in Europe’s parliaments sexual misconduct and harassment are pervasive and committed with apparent impunity.

Some 85 per cent of women MPs interviewed said they have suffered psychological violence (sexist remarks, intimidation and threats, pictures published with a humiliating or sexual connotation, etc.) during their term in office. In addition, 47 per cent said they have received threats of death, rape or beating, while 25 per cent said they have been sexually harassed.

Young women MPs and women active in the fight against gender inequality and violence are often singled out for attack.

Social media is a mixed blessing when it comes to threats of violence and harassment. Many survivors are using social media to speak up, share their experience, offer support and look for ways to prevent it. But the IPU and PACE survey shows that social media is also the main channel for threats, with 58 per cent of women in parliament saying they have been the target of online sexist attacks on social networks. One interviewee described how she was harassed online, “I got an anonymous message saying, ‘We’re going to kill you. First we’re going to beat up your children. Then you will be raped, killed. Your husband and your children, we’ll get you all. You can hire bodyguards, but we know where you live. We’ll get you all.’”

Who is committing these crimes? According to the IPU and PACE study, the perpetrators of sexual harassment against women MPs, were, in 76 per cent of cases, male parliamentarian colleagues, both from their own political party and from parties opposed to their own. In 34 per cent of cases, the incidents actually occurred on parliamentary premises!

The situation is just as bad or even worse for female parliamentary staff - showing that power relations are also at play. The study shows a terrifying rate of sexual and psychological harassment and bullying targeting female parliamentary staff in Europe. Some 40 per cent of parliamentary staff interviewed said that they were the target of sexual harassment in their work. In 69 per cent of cases, the perpetrators were male MPs.

What will it take to end harassment, sexism and violence against women in parliaments? First the heads of parliamentary institutions worldwide must recognize the problem and its prevalence, say loudly and clearly that it will not be tolerated, and commit to deal with it seriously. Secondly, robust grievance procedures in which victims of sexual misconduct can have confidence must be put in place with a range of effective sanctions against the perpetrators. And lastly, MPs must take part in mandatory prevention programmes to promote gender-sensitive parliaments.

We need to be the “shining example” by confronting this issue head-on, rather than offering empty words deploring the situation but doing little to change mindsets, including among our colleagues.

Parliaments should be places of unity, trust, safety and respect. They represent democracy’s ultimate aspiration of inclusive and participatory politics for every citizen. If the fundamental human rights of women are being constantly violated in parliamentary chambers and workplaces then we, MPs worldwide, have failed our constituents – young and old, and ultimately have made a mockery of the basic tenets of democracy.

There can be no place for sexist behaviour, harassment and gender-based violence in parliament. All national parliaments are invited to join our hashtag initiative #NotInMyParliament and take action.

Source: IPU.

By Gabriela Cuevas, President of the Inter-Parliamentary Union (IPU), and Liliane Maury Pasquier, President of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe (PACE).

On International Day for the Elimination of Violence against Women, we call on parliaments to build on the momentum of the #MeToo movement to denounce the violence happening in the corridors of legislative power.

Parliaments are the very essence of democratic governance - government for the people by the people. But in the male-dominated world of parliamentary politics, sexual harassment and abuse are rife. Today, with more women MPs exposing the extent of the problem, the entire parliamentary community needs to step up and end gender-based violence now in our workplace and beyond.

As women parliamentarians, we have heard countless stories from female colleagues of violence, abuse and harassment. We are alarmed and shaken by how endemic this behavior is - even in the most developed democracies.

A recently published report  by the IPU and PACE confirms that in Europe’s parliaments sexual misconduct and harassment are pervasive and committed with apparent impunity.

Some 85 per cent of women MPs interviewed said they have suffered psychological violence (sexist remarks, intimidation and threats, pictures published with a humiliating or sexual connotation, etc.) during their term in office. In addition, 47 per cent said they have received threats of death, rape or beating, while 25 per cent said they have been sexually harassed.

Young women MPs and women active in the fight against gender inequality and violence are often singled out for attack.

Social media is a mixed blessing when it comes to threats of violence and harassment. Many survivors are using social media to speak up, share their experience, offer support and look for ways to prevent it. But the IPU and PACE survey shows that social media is also the main channel for threats, with 58 per cent of women in parliament saying they have been the target of online sexist attacks on social networks. One interviewee described how she was harassed online, “I got an anonymous message saying, ‘We’re going to kill you. First we’re going to beat up your children. Then you will be raped, killed. Your husband and your children, we’ll get you all. You can hire bodyguards, but we know where you live. We’ll get you all.’”

Who is committing these crimes? According to the IPU and PACE study, the perpetrators of sexual harassment against women MPs, were, in 76 per cent of cases, male parliamentarian colleagues, both from their own political party and from parties opposed to their own. In 34 per cent of cases, the incidents actually occurred on parliamentary premises!

The situation is just as bad or even worse for female parliamentary staff - showing that power relations are also at play. The study shows a terrifying rate of sexual and psychological harassment and bullying targeting female parliamentary staff in Europe. Some 40 per cent of parliamentary staff interviewed said that they were the target of sexual harassment in their work. In 69 per cent of cases, the perpetrators were male MPs.

What will it take to end harassment, sexism and violence against women in parliaments? First the heads of parliamentary institutions worldwide must recognize the problem and its prevalence, say loudly and clearly that it will not be tolerated, and commit to deal with it seriously. Secondly, robust grievance procedures in which victims of sexual misconduct can have confidence must be put in place with a range of effective sanctions against the perpetrators. And lastly, MPs must take part in mandatory prevention programmes to promote gender-sensitive parliaments.

We need to be the “shining example” by confronting this issue head-on, rather than offering empty words deploring the situation but doing little to change mindsets, including among our colleagues.

Parliaments should be places of unity, trust, safety and respect. They represent democracy’s ultimate aspiration of inclusive and participatory politics for every citizen. If the fundamental human rights of women are being constantly violated in parliamentary chambers and workplaces then we, MPs worldwide, have failed our constituents – young and old, and ultimately have made a mockery of the basic tenets of democracy.

There can be no place for sexist behaviour, harassment and gender-based violence in parliament. All national parliaments are invited to join our hashtag initiative #NotInMyParliament and take action.

Source: IPU.

Currently, Latin America is leading globally in local and parliamentary positions held by women. But the journey to political participation is fraught with rising violence and intimidation against women in politics. In the age of #MeToo, we bring you the voices of Latin American women who are raising their voices and running for office, against all odds.

As an indigenous women’s rights activist in southern Mexico, Elisa Zepeda Lagunas has experienced the kind of violence that would shut people down. She was dragged to the town square and nearly hacked to death with a machete, her house was burned down and her brother was killed.

“We were ambushed… to stop the movement I led,” explains 34-year-old Zepeda Lagunas.

“They told me: ‘this is what happens when you get involved in matters that don’t concern you.’… They tortured me and did things to me that I still have trouble speaking about.”

Zepeda Lagunas, however, did not stop her activism. She persevered and sought public office, getting elected as the first female mayor of the municipality of Eloxochitlán de Flores Magón, in the Teotitlán District of the Mexican State of Oaxaca, in 2016. In July 2018, she was elected to the Oaxaca State Congress.

“Despite all the risks, I ran because it is a great opportunity for me to raise my voice to another level, as a legislator, and we have so much work to do,” she says. “It is essential for me to occupy these spaces and to open them for others.”

Currently, in Latin America, women hold 27.3 per cent of local positions as council members or councillors, an increase of 6.5 per cent in the last 10 years.

But the journey has not been easy for female politicians in Latin America, where harassment, threats and even death, have made it a risky career choice. This is true even in ground-breaking Bolivia, where women account for 53.1 per cent of Parliamentarians—the third-highest percentage globally—and 44.1 per cent of local councillors (in 2014).

BOLIVIA

“Ours was a battle waged on the streets, in prisons, with blows… It cost us a lot of blood and many deaths,” explains Leonida Zurita, who began her political career as a farm union activist before becoming the first woman to lead the Regional Assembly in Cochabamba in 2015. In 2017, she was nominated President of the Association of Women Departmental Representatives of the Plurinational State of Bolivia (AMADBOL), which was created with technical and financial support from UN Women.

Zurita says representation has improved greatly for women, thanks to legislation and a new Constitution, but harassment and political violence remain rampant.

The 2012 murder of local Bolivian councillor Juana Quispe—who had filed harassment complaints and was championing a law to protect female politicians from violence—and the killing of local councillor Daguimar Rivera Ortiz a few months later, fuelled demands for a law to tackle violence against women in politics.

Bolivia’s landmark law against harassment and political violence against women (Law 243) was passed in 2012, becoming the first—and still the only—stand-alone law of its kind in the world. UN Women provided technical and financial assistance for this legislation, which provides two- to five-year prison sentences for anyone who pressures, persecutes, harasses or threatens a woman exercising public functions, and up to eight years in prison for committing physical, psychological or sexual aggression.

But Bolivia’s legal reforms “did not change patriarchal systems or machismo culture overnight and the backlash against women in politics has been swift and widespread,” explains Katia Uriona, former President of the Electoral Tribunal of the Plurinational State of Bolivia. A long-time UN Women partner, she took part in an Expert Group Meeting  on Ending Violence against Women in Politics co-organized by UN Women in March 2018.

Uriona says Law 243 has been invaluable in bringing visibility to the issue, although challenges remain in its implementation, as not a single case has resulted in a conviction.

A recent study by Bolivia’s Women’s Coordination network (Coordinadora de la Mujer), a grantee of UN Women’s Fund for Gender Equality, revealed that between 65 and 70 per cent of women Parliamentarians have been victims of harassment and political violence.

“The sad thing is that these forms of political harassment and violence are absolutely naturalized in politics and are part of the political culture, both of political parties and of the democratic system itself,” says Executive Director of Coordinadora de la Mujer, Mónica Novillo.

In 2017, UN Women provided assistance to Bolivia’s Supreme Electoral Tribunal, to create an Observatory for Parity Democracy against Harassment and Political Violence. It monitors both gender and intercultural parity and the political rights of women, as well as tracking and raising awareness around women’s political participation (including violence) and generating data.

As part of continuing efforts, a law on parity in Bolivian political parties—with a section on violence against women in politics—was put before the Legislative Assembly in June of this year and approved on 1 September.

BRAZIL

In Brazil, women politicians face similar risks and afro-descendent and indigenous women have been doubly targeted. In March 2018, the killing of Marielle Franco, a 38-year-old Rio city councillor and popular afro-descendent human rights defender, captured global headlines and roused public sentiments.

UN Women has worked alongside partners bolstering advocacy efforts to raise awareness of such violence, including during the impeachment process against former Brazilian President Dilma Rousseff, highlighting several situations of political violence directed against her during 2015 and 2016.

In partnership with civil society and local mayors, UN Women has been working to make violence against women in politics more visible before and during electoral processes, and to promote women’s political participation. As part of the Brazil 50-50 initiative to achieve gender parity in politics, an independent data journalism initiative called “Gênero e Número” (Gender and Numbers) is increasing the visibility of black, indigenous and LBTI women who are severely underrepresented in the political arenas, and political violence against women.

“It is necessary to bring women's rights to the centre of public debate in elections,” says Nadine Gasman, UN Women Representative in Brazil . “UN Women has developed platforms for Brazilian candidates to position themselves and to commit to the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, with a focus on gender equality. We know that we cannot achieve sustainable development without the equal participation of men and women in politics.”

HONDURAS

In Honduras, San Pedro Sula city councillor Fátima Mena Baide has faced repeated threats and aggression. At the age of 28, with a one-year-old son, she founded a political party, ran for and was elected to Parliament in 2014.

When she ran for mayor in 2017, she received a barrage of social media and text messages from fake profiles, telling her to take care of her child instead of running for office, or sending threats to her personal safety and that of her son. She was attacked physically: she was hit, a Congressman running for re-election pulled her by the hair, and she was kept from campaigning in certain districts because there was an order to kill her

“What keeps women strong is knowing what they are experiencing is political violence against them, because they are women,” says Mena Baide, who also spoke at the UN Women-organized Experts Group Meeting in March. “Police are sometimes not even aware that this represents political violence. [They] don’t even know the term.”

Mena Baide went to the authorities, but police never filed a report. Reporting the incidents within her own party also proved futile. She says only women’s groups and the international community have shown her tangible support.

MEXICO

“If ‘protection’ means taking the woman away from her job, then who wins?” asks María del Carmen Alanís Figueroa, a Visiting Scholar at Harvard Law School who was Mexico’s first woman Chief Justice of the Electoral Court.

At the Experts Group Meeting in March, she detailed Mexico’s efforts to protect women politicians in the absence of a dedicated law. “We must sanction the perpetrator, the party. Protection of women in politics doesn’t mean to take her away from politics. We must do something different—that’s reparation,” She said.

In 2014, a step forward came when Mexico approved a federal judicial Protocol to Address Gender-Based Political Violence against Women (and updated it in 2017), with the Electoral Court as its main authority. UN Women Mexico also contributed to the development of a Model Protocol for Addressing Gender-Based Political Violence against Women aligned with the federal protocol, for the state of Oaxaca, which has spurred other state protocols across the country.

“The protocol is like a political statement acknowledging that there is a problem and there are institutions willing to act...” says politics and gender expert Mónica Maccise Duayhe, Head of the Gender Equality and Non-Discrimination Unit of Mexico’s National Electoral Institute. “At least it allows us to coordinate and we have a homogeneous instrument. But the protocol is not enough. We need additional mechanisms to close the gaps.”

Despite having more than 4,000 female contenders for the various levels of government in the recent July 2018 elections, Maccise Duayhe points out that only 38 cases of gender-based political violence were reported nationally, only three of which resulted in protective measures. She believes more women would report such violence if there were a law, or more forceful sanctions in place.

“But you can’t rely solely on legislative change, or a mechanism or the protocol,” she says. “We need better institutional coordination. We need to train judges. It’s a process.”

Maccise Duayhe, who also spearheaded the Gender Equality Programme for Mexico’s Supreme Court, has helped garner commitments from nine Mexican political parties to join UN Women’s HeForShe campaign before the last elections. They committed to promote women’s rights in their platforms, guarantee parity in their governing bodies and combat gender-based political violence.

UN Women Mexico has worked to strengthen the capacities of governments, civil society organizations and women politicians, through regional training forums and its membership in spaces such as the Observatory for Women's Political Participation and the Working Group on Political Violence against Women.

Back in Oaxaca, Zepeda Lagunas is among the 23 women (vis-à-vis 19 men) who now make up the majority of the Oaxaca State Congress. The July elections saw record numbers of women elected across Mexico, including 48.2 per cent of the lower house of federal Congress and 49.2 per cent of the Senate—the third and fourth-highest rates globally.

“We want to start a training school for women’s political empowerment in the 41 municipalities in my district,” says Zepeda Lagunas. “We also want to typify violence against women in politics, because sentences are not being carried out in the few trials that have been initiated... Little by little, we are moving forward, and I feel like it has all been worth it.”

Source: UN Women.