State needs to encourage society to stop violence against women: HRCM

Human Rights Commission of Maldives (HRCM) has said that state needed to pay a larger role in encouraging society to stop violence against women and differentiation against women.

In a statement released on Wednesday on occasion of International Day for the Elimination of Violence against Women, the commission said that they had proposed many changes in line with statement by Committee of the Elimination of Discrimination against Women (CEDAW).

This includes establishing a system to protect benefits received by women, developing family and child service centers in atolls to an acceptable standard, and improving how some state institutions react to cases of domestic violence that is reported to them.

Additional changes include compiling a list of women involved in the sex trade and running rehabilitation centers for them, as well as finding and providing a protective environment to victims of human trafficking and sex trade.

Steps HRCM says the state should take:

• Raising awareness among society about violence against women

• Eliminate age-old biases ingrained in society regarding women

• Nurture a generation that respects the rights of women

• Eliminate gender inequality that exists in education system

• Pass gender equality law

HRCM noted that 178 cases of domestic violence had been reported to police and family protection authority from May 2014 to May 2015; stressing that violence against women can only be eliminated if the root cause is identified.

Police had said that number of cases of domestic violence and sexual abuse reported to them during the first two months of 2015 was significantly higher compared to 2014.

Police statistics show 54 cases of domestic violence and 101 cases of sexual abuse reported to police during first two months of 2015, compared to 32 cases of domestic violence and 76 cases of sexual abuse reported on first two months of 2014.

This shows a 68 percent spike in number of reported cases of domestic violence, and a 32 percent spike in reported cases of sexual abuse.