UMA LULIK: Say NO to Violence against Women

The European Parliament Says NO and Calls for a "European Year on Zero Tolerance of Violence against Women"
EU Parliamentarian Eva-Britt Svensson called on Members of the European Parliament to add their names in support of a "Written Declaration on the Say NO to Violence against Women campaign." On Thursday, 2 April 2009, more than half the MPs signed the Declaration — the number needed to officially present the Declaration to the European Parliament for adoption. The Declaration calls upon the EU member states to support UNIFEM's Say NO to Violence against Women campaign and asks the Commission to declare, within the next f ive years, a 'European Year on Zero Tolerance of Violence against Women.'

"UNIFEM’s Say NO to Violence against Women campaign is a global advocacy and awareness-raising effort on ending violence against women, designed to support UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon’s multi-year UNiTE to End Violence against Women campaign. The UNIFEM initiative aims to demonstrate that there is a global movement of people who demand that ending violence against women be a top priority for governments everywhere.

The first, year-long phase of the campaign concluded on 25 November 2008, International Day for the Elimination of Violence against Women, when signatures collected worlwide were presented to UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon at a high-level event.