The United Nations dedicates November 25th to calling for and raising awareness about the elimination of violence against women. Such violence has been exacerbated during the coronavirus pandemic and national lockdowns. CESI has been paying close attention to this issue through its project on eradicating third-party violence at the workplace.

As millions were closed in their homes to protect themselves during the current Corona pandemic, too many victims experienced that being closed at home with their abuser was perhaps a worse perspective than getting ill. Domestic violence not only rose, it exploded during lockdown: potential unemployment, closed spaces in small apartments, uncertainties about the future, and mental health problems are all potential reasons for increased stress and hence violence levels. Thus, this year is particularly important and urgent to fight violence against women and girls. In France, according to the French interior ministry, the number of femicides in 2019 already rose by one fifth in comparison to 2018, and it is expected that the situation has deteriorated further in 2020. A situation which is aggravated by the Polish declaration of a potential withdrawal from the Istanbul Convention. Such a declaration means a huge setback for women’s rights in Poland, which have been having a particularly hard year in this regard.

At CESI, we are looking at this problem with close attention. We have been advocating for many years for the end of gender-based violence, for gender equality and for the elimination of violence at the workplace, which mostly targets women. A major project that CESI has been managing for the past two years on zero tolerance towards third party violence at the workplace showed the urgency of discussing these topics and of standing up for equal rights, including the right to a safe and healthy work environment.

Kirsten Lühmann, President of CESI’s Commission on Women’s Rights and Gender Equality, commented: “The EU response to the crisis must not only be about financial and economic alleviations. It must include a dedicated social dimension and in particular seek to ensure the safety and security of women. In the European Commission’s response to the COVID-crisis, domestic violence must not fall off the table and become collateral damage of the crisis.”

Consult the full statement here.