Luxembourg Marks International Day for Elimination of Violence Against Women

In Luxembourg, the government marked the occasion in a statement in which it reiterated "its commitment to a world without violence". The statement emphasised the need for everyone to support the goal of eliminating violence against women and the responsibility of every member of society to "break the taboo, fight against discrimination, transform harmful social norms and promote real gender equality".

The government recalled that the fight against violence against women is "a cross-cutting international priority that Luxembourg supports at all levels", citing the example of the Luxembourg Commission for Cooperation with UNESCO which has committed itself to supporting media professionals and organisations and other stakeholders to address and highlight violence against girls and women in an "ethical and sensitive" manner. The statement added that common rules at European and international level were of "crucial importance" and this Luxembourg has pledged its full support for the proposal for a European directive on combating violence against women and domestic violence which is currently being negotiated at European Union (EU) level.

The statement also recalled that Luxembourg's commitment to the fight against all forms of violence against girls and women applied at the multilateral level. It added that Luxembourg defends the sexual and reproductive health and rights of girls and women as part of its action to prevent and combat gender-based violence - a commitment that forms part of the country's feminist foreign policy.

The government recalled in its statement that Luxembourg has legislation and a solid social and psychosocial framework, supplemented by various awareness-raising projects and information campaigns, in relation to domestic and gender-based violence. The government has set up an "effective chain of intervention to ensure comprehensive care for victims and their children as well as perpetrators".

The statement also noted that the supervision and accountability of perpetrators is considered an essential pillar for the protection of victims and a key element in sustainable policies for the prevention of violence. As such, the government praised the efforts and commitment of the managers and staff of the relevant reception structures and counselling services.

According to the statement, Orange Week 2022, which runs from 25 November to 10 December, is an opportunity to raise awareness among the public about the fight against gender-based violence.

A list of activities planned as part of this year's Orange Week, which is coordinated at national level by National Council of Women of Luxembourg (Conseil National des Femmes du Luxembourg - CNFL) and the Luxembourg branch of Zonta International, is available online at: https://www.cnfl.lu/activites/orange-week/programme2022/.