International Day for the Elimination of Violence against Women.
International Day for the Elimination of Violence against Women
On November 25 1960, three anti-establishment women, the Mirabal sisters were assassinated by the dictatorship of the Dominican Republic, after their torture. Since then, this emblematic day has been regarded as a Day of Remembrance and Protest against the violence exercised upon women globally. In 1991, the UN named that day as the Global Day for the Elimination of Violence against Women, so as to be recalled that such a phenomenon should not be tolerated.
Nowadays, the recent pandemic along with the forced stay and coexistence in the limited space of the house, due to quarantine, the increasing poverty and the reduction of access to opportunities and development prospects, have been creating a negatively charged atmosphere that has been in turn accentuating phenomena of domestic violence, which often include multiple crimes against women that could even reach murder.
Violence is not strictly related to colour, education level, social class, age and economic status. The offenders can belong to any age group, citizenship, socio-economic category and level of education.
Taking into consideration the number of feminicide having shocked Greece over the past months, statistical studies have shown that in our country, one in four women have been experiencing physical and/or sexual violence, throughout their lifetime. The corresponding ratio worldwide is one in three women.
In Greece, pursuant to Law 4589/2019 (art 33), Gender Equality and Anti-Discrimination Committees have been henceforth established and functioning at all Higher Education Institutions (HEIs), all over Greece (24), (G.E.C.) acting as Advisory Bodies to the Senates and Management Boards of the Schools and Departments of HEI, with reference to the promotion of equality at all the operational levels and all the procedures of academic life involved, as well.
The Agricultural University of Athens (AUA) by means of the (G.E.C.) setting an Action Plan on Gender Equality (APGE) has the ambition of contributing to the fight against discriminations on the grounds of gender, on an institutional, organizational and operational level, through the development of a set of regulations and the establishment of statutes, in addition to the amendment of the content of all of its official documents, with a view to meeting the needs of combating gender discriminations. At the same time, the Agricultural University of Athens wishes to ensure equality, equal rights and safety on teaching and research, hampering the development of all forms of discrimination and violence.
On the occasion of the International Day on the elimination of violence against women, the Gender Equality Committee (G.E.C.) of the Agricultural University of Athens calls for vigilance and action. The change of the family and social life model, by way of educational and advisory procedures, has been the most appropriate and the most effective, in the long term, prevention in order to counteract and eradicate the stereotypes derived from gender inequality.
Let us all, both men and women included, take active action towards the prevention of violence against women, inasmuch the resistance to any form of infringement of rights.
On the part of the Gender Equality Committee (G.E.C.) of the Agricultural University of Athens
Sophie Mavrikou
Assistant Professor of the Department of Biotechnology - AUA
President of GEC-AUA
