06/12/2007 Equality and Non-Discrimination
“Tolerating violence against women is unacceptable. Society will only change if we have the support of all the parties involved,” said Nimet Cubukcu, Turkey’s State Minister for Women and Family Affairs, at the opening of the hearing on domestic violence held by the PACE’s Committee on Equal Opportunities for Women and Men. “The awareness-raising campaign and the initiatives conducted by the Hürriyet newspaper, in and , are helping to change attitudes,” added the Minister.
Ms Gülsün Bilgehan, Chair of the Committee, said that “ has come a long way in terms of legislation. Attitudes, however, still need to change. No cultural or religious relativism can justify this violence.” In the course of the hearing, the committee addressed the role of the media and the entertainment industry, men’s involvement in combating violence against women in and co-operation between Council of Europe states to make it easier for immigrant women to access provision for the protection of domestic abuse victims.