Second International Conference on Domestic Violence
4-6 December 2006
In the framework of
the Council of Europe’s pan-European campaign to combat violence against women,
including domestic violence, 16 Days of Activism against Gender Violence annual
campaign and, following the 2004-2010 Republic of Armenia National Action Plan
on Improving the Status of Women and Enhancing Their Role in Society, the
Women's Rights Center, as the Secretariat of the International Consortium for
Domestic Violence, with the financial support of the OSI East-East program,
OSIAF-Armenia Network Women’s Program and Global Fund for Women on 4-6 December
2006 has organized the Second International Conference on Domestic Violence,
which took place in Yerevan, Armenia.
The Conference was
attended by experts on the issue of domestic violence from non-governmental and
international organizations, governmental structures of the following countries:
The Conference was
focused on the situation on domestic violence legislation in the countries with
good practice, countries that are starting to make certain steps in that
direction and countries with no experience at all, exchange of appropriate
experience, finding the best ways of prevention and prosecution of domestic
violence.
The Conference had
also the aim of expanding the International Consortium for Domestic Violence
(ICDV) which was founded in October of 2005. The Charter of the Consortium was
presented to the attention of the participants and they were given certain time
to consider it and sign the Memorandum in case of expressing their willingness
to join the Consortium.
In the framework of
the cultural part of the Conference all participants visited ancient Armenian
pagan temple Garni and ancient church Geghard after which they were invited to
Armenian national restaurant where each participant had an opportunity to
present her/his national dance and song.
The Secretariat of
the Consortium is planning to make such Conferences annual, involving more and
more countries from all over the world. The ICDV aims at viewing domestic
violence as not a country’s internal problem, but rather treating it as an
urgent global problem, which will require searching for the ways of solution on
the international level.