On the occasion of the International Day for the Elimination of Violence Against Women, the Luxembourg Minister for Equal Opportunities Lydia Mutsch and the Director of the European Institute for Gender Equality (EIGE), Virginija Langbakk, launched the 'White Ribbon' campaign in the Grand Duchy on Wednesday 25 November 2015.
The origin of the campaign dates back to 6 December 1989, when Marc Lépine entered the École Polytechnique of Montreal in Canada and shot 14 people, of which 10 were women, in the name of 'fighting feminism'. The incident led a group of young male students to create the 'White Ribbon' association to demonstrate against gender-based violence, and the movement quickly spread across the globe and is now active in over 60 countries. Since its inception, EIGE has promoted this movement under the theme of 'Engaging Men', bringing together men of power and reputation to contribute to the elimination of male violence against women and girls.
Several male ministers of the Luxembourg government were present at the launch to show their support to the launch, including President of the Chamber of Deputies, Mars Di Bartolomeo; Prime Minister, Xavier Bettel; Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Internal Security, Étienne Schneider; Minister of Social Welfare and Development Cooperation, Romain Schneider; and Secretary of State for Higher Education, National Education, Children and Youth, Marc Hansen. These figures within the Luxembourg Government have become the first White Ribbon ambassadors in the Grand Duchy.
Lydia Mutsch first of all thanked Virginija Langbakk for instigating the campaign in Luxembourg, before the Minister of Equal Opportunities emphasised the importance of men's role in the fight against violence to women, explaining that generally this fight is seen as women's engagement. She stated that domestic violence "affects the economic independence, work and sociality" of the victim and therefore "hinders the full participation of women in modern life".
"From today on, I am going to be an ambassador, a White Ribbon ambassador," declared President of the Chamber of Deputies, Mars Di Bartolomeo. "Violence against children and women is not a sign of strength, it is a sign of weakness. This affects the lives of millions of people."
The Prime Minister, Xavier Bettel, was firm in his stance that women's rights are human rights, and that "We have situations which are not acceptable and violence belongs to these most unacceptable of situations". He further commented that a central issue in domestic violence is getting victims to talk about their ordeal or report it, and he implored members of the public who see a friend or family member in trouble to help them through it.
Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Internal Security, Étienne Schneider, spoke of police interventions in domestic violence which in recent years have multiplied three times over. He stated that this was reflective of the success of awareness campaigns, with more girls and women encouraged to break the silence and speak out. According to Étienne Schneider, 37% of these police actions led to evictions and the Deputy Prime Minister pledge as Minister in charge of police to continually contribute to government efforts to position itself clearly against violence against women.
Romain Schneider, who is Luxembourg's Minister of Social Security, emphasised the importance of dignity, citing the flagship slogan of the 2015 European Year of Development of 'Our World, Our Dignity, Our Future!', whilst Secretary of State for Higher Education, National Education, Children and Youth, Marc Hansen, underlined the significant role of research on violence, particularly that performed against women and girls. He similarly highlighted the necessity of prevention programmes and awareness efforts in primary schools.
This point was reiterated by Xavier Bettel during a panel discussion, who emphasised education as key in promoting an understanding of violence, both in terms of parents and teachers providing this to children from an early age, and with regards to developing a psychological and rehabilitative approach with offenders, rather than just enforcing fines or prison sentences. The Prime Minister was however under no illusion regarding the difficulty going forward, stating "to change mentalities is not easy".
Lydia Mutsch concluded proceedings by stating "gender equality is the best fight against violence" and stating the determination of all Ministers present to contribute to this cause. She spoke of how combatting and eradicating violence against women could only be achieved with the close collaboration of all stakeholders, concluding, "We hope that we were able to motivate other Presidencies and other countries to follow our lead".
Photos by Sarah Graham (Top L-R: Étienne Schneider; Virginija Langbakk; Romain Schneider. 2nd L-R: Moderator; Lydia Mutsch; Marc Hansen; Xavier Bettel; Mars Di Bartolomeo. 3rd: Virginija Langbakk. Bottom L-R: Xavier Bettel; Lydia Mutsch; Marc Hansen; Étienne Schneider; Romain Schneider; Mars di Bartolomeo)
