With the PACE, men get involved to combat domestic violence

Men, especially male MPs, who account for some 80% of Europe’s parliamentarians, have a crucial role to play in efforts to combat domestic violence against women, rectify imbalances in power relationships and bring about changes in mentalities.

On 25 November 2007, the International Day for the Elimination of Violence against Women, the PACE launched a new pan-European activity entitled “Men Get Involved to Combat Domestic Violence”.

The PACE Standing Committee adopted a declaration "Men Get involved" in Bratislava on 23 November 2007.

Since November, several parliaments have responded favourably to this initiative.

• In Albania, Austria and Portugal, petitions on the key role of male parliamentarians have been launched.
• Exhibitions have been staged in Bosnia and Herzegovina, Bulgaria and Romania.
•  Members of parliament in France, Moldova and Poland organised cultural events.
•  In Albania, Bulgaria, Ireland, Portugal, Romania, Spain, Sweden and the United Kingdom, meetings have been held with civil society organisations.
• In “the former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia”, a public hearing has been held.

Groups of male parliamentarians committed to combating domestic violence have already been set up in the Albanian, Andorran, Portuguese and Swedish Parliaments.

Discussions will continue on 4 March 2008 in Brussels (see page 3) and in the PACE, where Mr Mendes Bota (Portugal, EPP/CD) and several of his colleagues have tabled a motion for a resolution entitled “Involving men to achieve gender equality”.