Letter to EU Heads of State: Provide funding to end violence against women and girls

The European Coalition to end violence against women and girls, where Inclusion Europe is a member, wrote a letter to the heads of the European Union member states.

The letter says:

We are “writing to you regarding the MFF 2021-2027 and Next Generation EU (NGEU). We urge all EU decision-makers to demonstrate their political leadership and commitment to protecting gender equality, women’s and girls’ rights, and eliminating violence against women and girls in all of its activities through increased funds to the Citizens, Equality, Rights and Values programme.”

“Stronger political action is urgently needed to address the persistent gender inequalities that have been exacerbated by COVID-19 and the increased discrimination against women. Particularly, this crisis has led to an increase of cases violence against women, including domestic violence, intimate partner violence and institutional violence; and also heightened barriers in access to protection and support services for women and sexual and reproductive health services. These have disproportionately impacted women and girls facing multiple forms of discrimination.” This includes women with intellectual disabilities.

Demands: proper funding to end violence against women and girls

“We call on all EU decision-makers to demonstrate their political leadership and commitment to protecting gender equality, women’s rights, eliminating violence against women and girls, and to urgently:

Increase funds to the Citizens, Equality, Rights and Values programme to at least €1.83 billion in current prices, with 50% earmarked to support civil society organisations.
Address the emergency with regards to violence against women and girls that has worsened during the COVID-19 pandemic
Increase investments to EIGE to sustain their independent work in advancing gender equality and ending violence against all women and girls.
Ensure gender mainstreaming across all funding areas of NGEU and the MFF 2021-2027, and adopt a gender budgeting lens across all programmes, to alleviate any detrimental effects gender-blind funds may have on women and girls. We call for the same willingness to be shown in the framework of EU’s external action budget.”

Read the letter in full (.pdf)