Violence against women and girls represents one of the most widespread phenomena, which affects fundamental human rights to life, safety, freedom, dignity, physical and mental integrity, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MAE) says in a press release sent on Thursday, when the International Day for the Elimination of Violence against Women is marked.
The source reminds that, since the COVID-19 outbreak, while states began to implement measures meant to prevent the spread of the SARS-CoV-2 virus, all types of violence against women and girls, especially domestic violence, have intensified.
MAE "reiterates its firm commitment to promote and protect the rights of women and girls, as well as continuing efforts for countering all forms of violence against them".
"Countering this scourge requires long-term sustained effort, from the authorities, in matter of prevention and combating, responsibility of opposing all forms of violence or harassment towards women and girls, falls onto all of us, at the state level, as well as the societal state," the representatives of the Ministry specify.
Furthermore, the MAE shows that the level of information of the Romanian society regarding this topic has gone up in the last years, as a result of actions carried out by authorities and active NGOs in the field.
Since 2003, Romania has adopted a law for preventing and countering violence against women and domestic violence, which defines this concept and establishes the categories of crimes circumscribed to domestic violence, according to the relevant provisions of the Criminal Code.
By ratifying, in 2016, of the Convention of the European Council on preventing and combating violence against women and domestic violence (Istanbul Convention) as well as implementing provisions in the national legislation, "Romania has once again proven its firm commitment in countering this phenomenon", Agerpres informs.