On the eve of the UN International Day for the Elimination of Violence against Women, the Council of Europe's Group of Experts on Action against Violence against Women and Domestic Violence (GREVIO) publish their first-ever evaluation reports on Albania and Denmark.
For Albania, GREVIO welcomes a solid legislative framework and policies that generally acknowledge the gender-based nature of violence against women. But the experts also criticise the public perception that violence against women is mostly confined to poverty-stricken parts of the country, with poorly educated women its only victims. This erroneously implies that other women are spared, according to the report.
In its report on Denmark, meanwhile, GREVIO praises the country's long track record in addressing violence against women, but points out that child custody decisions in cases of domestic violence require proper risk assessment. GREVIO reports not only stalking and repeated violence against women by abusive former male partners as a result of shared custody and visitation rights, but also proven cases of children being sent back to abusive fathers resulting in preventable violence.
- Read the press release - Denmark: Despite a long track record in addressing violence against women, child custody decisions in cases of domestic violence require proper risk assessment, say Council of Europe experts
- Read the press release - GREVIO welcomes reforms in Albania, but urges authorities to address all forms of violence against women