The global Amnesty International (AI) campaign "Stop Violence against Women" has been launched in Slovenia, with symbolic hand-prints and a petition marking the initiative in Ljubljana. According to the AI Slovenia, every fifth woman is a victim of violence, and every seventh woman is a victim of rape.

Giving their hand-prints in support of the campaign were Ljubljana Mayor Danica Simsic, Speaker of Parliament Borut Pahor and Slovenian Ombudsman Matjaz Hanzek. Taking part in the international project - which is to last two years - are some 1.8 million AI members all over the world, AI Slovenia secretary general Natasa Posel told STA on Monday.

A third of women in the world are victims of violence - that is one billion women on a world scale, who are discriminated against in different areas, including economy, arts and culture, politics, and within society.

"Most women keep their pain for an average of eight years before they turn for help, and the state's reaction in such cases in usually slow and inefficient," Posel pointed out. Numerous countries, she explained, lack any kind of law that would deal with cases of violence against women.

Discrimination is no stranger to human history, as numerous customs used to be acceptable once, but have nevertheless been overcome - such as slavery and the torture of prisoners, Posel went on to stress. She noted that bringing the issue to the attention of state institutions, religious, political and cultural leaders, as well as citizens, is the only way to overcome the problem of violence against women.

 During the first year of the campaign, AI Slovenia will be focusing mainly on educating people by cooperating with primary and secondary schools. Literary and arts competitions have already been announced, and a book including international and national documents on the protection of women's rights is also to be released soon, Posel said.

 

SOURCE: STA (Slovenian Press Agency), 8. 3. 2004