{"id":2256,"date":"2020-01-09T14:00:57","date_gmt":"2020-01-09T14:00:57","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/rcstaging.co.uk\/ehrac\/?p=2256"},"modified":"2021-04-02T20:40:51","modified_gmt":"2021-04-02T19:40:51","slug":"ehrac-convenes-expert-roundtable-on-sexual-violence-against-women-in-the-former-soviet-union","status":"publish","type":[72],"link":"http:\/\/ehrac.org.uk\/ru\/ehrac-convenes-expert-roundtable-on-sexual-violence-against-women-in-the-former-soviet-union\/","title":{"rendered":"EHRAC \u0441\u043e\u0437\u044b\u0432\u0430\u0435\u0442 \u043a\u0440\u0443\u0433\u043b\u044b\u0439 \u0441\u0442\u043e\u043b \u044d\u043a\u0441\u043f\u0435\u0440\u0442\u043e\u0432 \u043f\u043e \u0441\u0435\u043a\u0441\u0443\u0430\u043b\u044c\u043d\u043e\u043c\u0443 \u043d\u0430\u0441\u0438\u043b\u0438\u044e \u0432 \u043e\u0442\u043d\u043e\u0448\u0435\u043d\u0438\u0438 \u0436\u0435\u043d\u0449\u0438\u043d \u0432 \u0431\u044b\u0432\u0448\u0435\u043c \u0421\u043e\u0432\u0435\u0442\u0441\u043a\u043e\u043c \u0421\u043e\u044e\u0437\u0435"},"content":{"rendered":"\n\t\t
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On 19-20 November 2019, EHRAC convened an expert roundtable on litigating sexual violence against women, bringing together ten lawyers and activists experienced in tackling the issue in our target region.[i]<\/a>\u00a0The discussions focused on the problematic legal definition of rape, and deficiencies in the investigation of sexual violence in Russia, Georgia, Armenia and Ukraine. The roundtable provided an opportunity for women litigators and activists to share on-the-ground knowledge about these issues, many of which stem from the lack of consent-based definitions of rape in laws across the region. Participants also considered the difficulties in ensuring the effective implementation of the newly revised law on sexual offences in Ukraine, and how these difficulties are informed by the wider regional context.<\/p>\n

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\u201cThe focus of the meeting \u2013 litigating sexual violence in the countries of the former Soviet Union \u2013 is very important, since this issue has been consistently overlooked in these countries by their respective governments, as well as by human rights litigators. Compared to other forms of violence against women, sexual violence survivors have very serious obstacles in accessing justice and these obstacles are very seldom challenged, if at all. Urgent steps are necessary to address the issue.\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n

Tamar Dekanosidze, Lawyer and roundtable participant,\u00a0Georgian Young Lawyers\u2019 Association<\/a>\u00a0(GYLA)\/Equality Now<\/a><\/em><\/cite><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n

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EHRAC has litigated multiple cases of gender-based violence<\/a>\u00a0against women before the European Court of Human Rights (ECtHR), and the UN Committee on the Elimination of Discrimination Against Women (CEDAW) in partnership with local lawyers, on issues that include: domestic violence, femicide, \u2018honour\u2019-based violence,<\/a>\u00a0sexual assault, and trafficking in Russia and Georgia.<\/p>\n

The expert roundtable focused on identifying the barriers that lawyers face in finding applicants and taking cases on sexual violence, including to specifically challenge the lack of consent-base definitions of rape. Common obstacles raised by participants include: entrenched gender-based stereotypes among law enforcement professionals, the active stigmatisation of vulnerable groups by investigative authorities, the lack of effective implementation of restraining orders, and low reporting rates of rape and other sexual violence. Across the region \u2013 even in Ukraine where the law now incorporates a lack of consent-based definition of rape \u2013 investigative authorities require evidence of force and resulting physical injuries sustained by survivors.<\/p>\n

Participants agreed that legal reform remains a crucial step in providing a meaningful definition of rape, in line with international standards (based on the victim\u2019s lack of consent rather than the requirement of the use or threat of force), together with efforts to breakdown stigmas and taboos, change public perceptions of rape and women survivors, and educate and equip law enforcement officials with the knowledge needed to improve protections for victims and address failings in the investigation and prosecution of rape.<\/p>\n\t<\/div>\r\n<\/div>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n\n\t\t\t<\/div> \n\t\t<\/div>\n\t<\/div> \n<\/div><\/div>\n\t\t

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