Violence against Women and Girls (VAWG) is a global phenomenon and is recognised, in line with international human rights standards, as a violation of women’s human rights. Important efforts have been made in recent years to adapt national legislations, strategies and policies to international standards to address and prevent VAWG more effectively.
In 2019, the Regional Civil Society Observatory (RCSO) on VAWG was established as an independent mechanism to follow up and support the implementation of the Union for Mediterranean (UfM) Ministerial Declaration on Strengthening the Role of Women in Society1 (27 November 2017, Cairo), in the areas of combating all forms of VAWG, implementation of Women, Peace, Security Agenda (WPSA), and Preventing Violent Extremism (PVE). The RCSO is hosted by EuroMed Feminist Initiative (EFI) in Amman and funded by the European Union (EU) as part of a three-year regional programme, “Combating Violence against Women and Girls in the Southern Mediterranean”. Its aim is to provide an update on the status of VAWG legislation, policies and actions in the Southern Mediterranean States.
Between December 2019 and November 2020, the RCSO conducted its first regional study on “Violence Against Women and Girls in the South Mediterranean”. This focused on the seven countries involved in the regional program above: Algeria, Egypt, Jordan, Lebanon, Morocco, Palestine and Tunisia.
https://www.efi-rcso.org/sites/default/files/2021-03/Study%20Brief.pdf