As we all know, violence against women is an old plague in society and a flagrant violation of basic human rights. It is a widespread phenomenon, existing in all societies and all social classes, regardless of the level of development, the degree of political stability, culture, or religion, and is found both in the public and the private sphere. It is also a global phenomenon, and therefore widespread both in our country and in all other countries of the European Union.
An extreme form of gender-based violence is femicide. The main motive of a femicide is the gender of the victim, often also the refusal to comply with patriarchal dictates, a refusal that calls for punishment in the most extreme way.
It concerns all forms and types of sexist murder, regardless of whether they are caused by misogyny, by sexual pleasure, or, by a sense of domination over women. It is, therefore, a sexist, punitive crime – and goes even further – it is about patriarchal politics in general, with crime as a tool, which, however, the state and especially the legal system refuses to recognize as such.
It denies, or is unable to focus on the misogyny of the crimes, transfers guilt to the victims, accepts gender-diverse morality and behavior, and finally highlights and affirms the state’s failure to protect half its population.
Women/feminist collectives, as well as gender-conscious researchers, point out, among other things, a serious lack of relevant data, research methodologies and tools, and therefore of extensive valid research, along with a lack of direct or indirect recognition and acceptance of the murders as sexist-motivated hate crimes.
They also point out that it is the patriarchal context in which femicides are committed, the characteristics of the perpetrators and, above all, their sexist motives, as well as the hierarchical victim-perpetrator relationship, that differentiate femicides from other homicides.
At the same time, women’s/feminist collectives and others, identify the real deficit of broad social awareness regarding violence against women, the lack of state officials capable of investigating and intervening in the curbing of violence in all its manifestations, of authorized state bodies that respond directly to the specific needs of women.
Furthermore, they identify a lack of direct or indirect recognition and acceptance of murders as crimes of dual identity: violent taking of a person’s life and an extreme form of gender-based violence, but also the fact that they serve as an example for other women, so as not to violate patriarchal norms,
The “Initiative against Femicide” was formed in order to contribute to the promotion and recognition of the phenomenon of femicide as a sexist crime, and to raise awareness in the Greek society, its actors and especially its legal system, so that they can be motivated and activated for the understanding, prevention and treatment of gender-based violence, which in many cases results in femicide, as the 18 murders of women in our country (researchers talk about over 27) proved, only in 2021. Consequently:
- It requires the state to take into account the continuum of gender-based violence that results in femicide, and to develop policies against sexism and misogyny that permeate institutions and allow their perpetuation.
- It requires the protection of women who are at risk, and the creation of spaces for their safety.
- It claims the criminal recognition of femicide, its inclusion in the Penal Code, and the punishment of perpetrators of femicides, without the extenuating circumstances usually recognized in the courts for gender-based crimes
- Calls on every women’s /feminist collective, every NGO, the Equality Committees of Greek universities, academics, workers, young people, students, journalists, artists and all civil society to join, support this declaration and fight for the prevention and elimination of all forms of gender-based violence; for the prevention and elimination of the phenomenon of femicide.
The signatory women’s organisations/collectives
- Women’s Self-Defense Group
- Network to Address Violence against Women
- Network of Women Writers Against Gender-Based Violence and Femicide “Her Voice”
- Diotima – Centre for Gender Rights and Equality
- Greek Network for the Feminist Strike
- Greek Network of European Women
- Greek Women’s Union
- Union of Qualified Greek Women Engineers
- Gender Studies Laboratory, Department of Social Policy, Panteion University
- European Anti-Violence Network
- “Strong me” Movement to prevent and combat gender-based violence
- MITERAS ERGON Association of Mothers with Many Children
- NIMERTIS ACTIONART
- Mother’s Wings Greece
- Women’s Rights Group Social Intervention “Dytika”
- Women’s group of the Association of Social and Cultural Intervention “Thryalida”
- Panhellenic union of employees of the Genaral Secreatariat for Equality network
- Piraeus Women’s Initiative
- Association of employees of the General Secretariat for Gender Equality “Dora Katsivardakou”
- Women’s Rights Association “TO MOV”
- Feminist Collective THEODORA
- YWCA Greece
