Shmyhal, Yermak discuss fight against domestic violence with human rights organizations

Shmyhal, Yermak discuss fight against domestic violence with human rights organizations

Ukrinform
Head of the President's Office Andriy Yermak, together with the wife of the head of state, Olena Zelenska, and Prime Minister Denys Shmyhal, have discussed with human rights organizations the prevention and strengthening of the fight against domestic violence, according to a statement posted on the website of the President's Office.

Minister of Social Policy Maryna Lazebna and Verkhovna Rada Commissioner for Human Rights Liudmyla Denisova also participated in the discussion.

"During the discussion, NGO coordinators noted that the situation with the COVID-19 pandemic and the lockdown declared in the country aggravated problems and revealed gaps in the system of combating domestic violence. In the first quarter of 2020 alone, there were about 47,000 appeals from citizens about domestic violence, which is almost 50% more than in the same period last year," the statement reads.

Human rights activists stressed that the law on preventing and combating domestic violence, which meets international standards, had already been adopted in Ukraine, but now it is necessary to strengthen it with other legal documents and ensure their implementation.

According to the statement, the increasing number of cases of domestic violence was a prerequisite for the preparation of a draft presidential decree on urgent measures to protect the rights and interests of victims of domestic violence and/or gender-based violence.

The President's Office said that among the main areas mentioned in the draft decree were measures to prevent and minimize domestic violence, the development of a system of services and shelters for victims, informational and educational work on the inadmissibility of a violent model of relations, the inevitability of punishment for violence and the provision of maximum support and assistance to victims, the provision of special care and protection for the elderly, children and the disabled.

"The creation of specialized services to provide assistance and protection to victims is the No. 1 task, which should be a priority at all levels of government and especially at the local level. According to the norms, there should be one place in a shelter per 10,000 people but we have sad statistics - there are only nine shelters and 16 crisis rooms in Ukraine. The decree will secure the topic of combating violence as a priority of Ukraine's policy and should guarantee the consistent implementation of comprehensive measures on the ground. All branches of government should be involved in this process," Zelenska said.

Yermak said that the provisions of the relevant law and by-laws should work as a single and coordinated mechanism at all levels - central, regional and local.

At the request of Yermak, the participants in the working meeting will prepare proposals for the draft presidential decree within two days, taking into account remarks and recommendations.

The meeting was attended by representatives of Ukrainian and international organizations that deal with preventing and combating domestic violence: the United Nations Population Fund, La Strada Ukraine, the Ukrainian Helsinki Human Rights Union, the Ukrainian Foundation for Public Health, the Women's Perspectives Center, etc.

The working meeting was held on the instruction of the president of Ukraine.

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