First of all, let’s understand what the term “gender-based violence” means. It is a form of violence that is based on gender stereotypes and inequality between men and women. Gender-based violence can take many forms: physical violence, psychological violence, sexual violence, economic violence, etc. In order to work effectively in this area, the international community has developed Minimum Standards, which aim to reach a common understanding of what the minimum requirements for GBV prevention and response programs in emergencies should be.
What are minimum standards?
Minimum standards are a set of rules and requirements that are established to ensure the quality of services or products. In the case of gender-based violence, minimum standards are set to ensure that women and girls are protected from violence.
What are the minimum standards for protection from gender-based violence in Ukraine?
The document on minimum standards for protection from gender-based violence in Ukraine contains requirements for how organizations and institutions should act to ensure that women and girls are protected from violence. This document contains recommendations on how to work with victims of violence, how to ensure their rights, how to create safe spaces for them, etc.
The main requirements contained in the document include the following:
Ensuring the safety of women and girls
Organizations and institutions should create safe spaces for women and girls who have experienced violence. This may mean providing shelter and protection from a perpetrator who may be looking for a victim, or ensuring confidentiality and protection of personal data.
Ensure access to services and support
Organizations and institutions should ensure access to a range of services and support for women and girls who are victims of violence. This may mean providing medical care, legal counseling, psychological support and other services to help victims get their lives back on track.
Ensure victims’ rights to protection
Organizations and institutions should ensure victims’ rights to protection. This may mean providing legal aid, ensuring the right to a trial, and other measures to help victims assert their rights.
Ensure equality between men and women
Organizations and institutions must respect the principle of equality between men and women. This means that women and girls should have equal opportunities and rights with men and should not face discrimination on the basis of gender.
Preventing gender-based violence
This can mean conducting training and awareness campaigns on violence, identifying and preventing it, and promoting equality between men and women.
Ensuring the preservation of evidence
Organizations and institutions should ensure that evidence of the violence that has occurred is preserved. This may mean preserving physical evidence (e.g., clothing or other items with marks on them) as well as electronic evidence (e.g., messages or calls to security services). This will help to ensure evidence in court proceedings and hold the perpetrator accountable.
Ensure partnership and coordination
Organizations and institutions need to collaborate and coordinate to ensure that measures to prevent and respond to violence are effective. This may mean working with other organizations, government agencies and community-based organizations to ensure a broader and more effective approach to violence.
In summary, the minimum standards described in this document aim to ensure that women and girls are protected from violence and have access to the support and services they need. These standards should be translated into practical measures to ensure that violence in Ukrainian society is effectively addressed.
The minimum standards described in the document also recognize that violence against women and girls is deeply rooted in gender inequalities and stereotypes that contribute to such violence. Therefore, in addition to direct measures to prevent violence and protect victims, it is also necessary to work to promote gender equality and change stereotypes about the roles of men and women in society.
In addition, the minimum standards call for the participation of women and girls themselves in the development and implementation of measures to prevent and combat violence. This may mean creating networks of women’s groups and organizations that assist victims of violence, as well as promoting women’s leadership and participation in decision-making at various levels.
It is important to note that the minimum standards are not a law, but they reflect international standards and best practices for preventing and combating violence against women and girls. Therefore, their use can help Ukrainian society to improve the protection of women and girls from violence and provide them with the necessary support and services.
In summary, the minimum standards described in this document aim to ensure that women and girls are protected from violence and have access to the necessary support and services. These standards should be translated into practical measures to ensure that violence against women and girls is effectively addressed. In addition, it is important to work to promote gender equality and change stereotypes about the roles of men and women in society to prevent violence from occurring.
We all have a responsibility to help ensure the safety and protection of women and girls from violence. This can be achieved by supporting measures that implement minimum standards and by actively participating in the process of combating violence against women and girls. Neglecting this issue is unacceptable and can have negative consequences for our society as a whole.
