WUNRN
EL SALVADOR - NEW COMPREHENSIVE LAW
ON VIOLENCE AGAINST WOMEN
|
Salvadorian parliamentarians celebrate
the approval |
A
groundbreaking law aimed at halting high levels of violence against women in El
Salvador, the Central American country with the world’s highest rates for
murder of women, was officially made public last week following approval five
months ago by the overwhelming majority of members of the national legislative
assembly.
The
First Comprehensive Law for a Life Free of Violence against Women contains 61
articles to uphold the rights of women through policies on detection and
prevention of violence, and victim assistance and protection, among other
measures.
The
law will come into force next year and was endorsed after 4,000 women marched
to the national assembly building to demand the Bill’s approval on 25 November
2010—‘International Day for the Elimination of Violence against Women’.
“We
have seen women parliamentarians from different parties arguing among each
other about other issues, but on this occasion we united to pursue a common
aim: that the rights of women be granted—and respected,” said Carmen Elena de
Escalón, an assembly member and secretary of the Salvadorian Women’s
Parliamentary Group.
The
law punishes all forms of violence against women: from female murders (with
20-35 years of imprisonment for those convicted), to mocking, disparaging or
isolation of women in their workplaces, communities or schools (with fines of
between 2-25 times the national monthly minimum wage or through community
work).
Less
than six percent of the 477 women who were murdered between January and October
2010 resulted in convictions and of nearly 7,000 reported cases of sexual
crimes, only 436 resulted in convictions between 2008 and 2009.
The El Salvador Institute for Women's Development dealt
with more than 6,000 cases of violence against women from January to November,
2010, including domestic violence, child abuse, assault and harassment, sexual
exploitation and human trafficking.
“Women’s
rights—and violence against women—are huge challenges for international
cooperation in Central America,” said Nidia
“This
new law has a special significance because it includes, in a comprehensive
manner, various responsibilities: from the municipal, to the state and national
levels, while forging an institutional system to support women victims of
violence,”
When
the law comes into force next year, the Government of El Salvador will also
develop a National Policy for Women's Access to a Life Free of Violence, to
guide national and sub-national measures for victims of violence, which is
usually perpetrated by a male partner or acquaintance.
In
the meantime, UNDP continues to work with the Women’s Parliamentary Group to
create a specialized unit to address women’s rights in the