Europe for women : EU law and violence against women

Abstract

This dissertation utilises legal documents, books, journals and articles to examine in depth the issue of domestic violence and its connection to human rights. This will take place in order to find out what legislative changes and recommendations the European Union has made on domestic violence and how two of its member states, namely Sweden and Malta, have implemented them. Thus this dissertation is going to trace whether recommendation and polices introduced by the EU have acted as forces of change where domestic violence and human rights are concerned. According to the Council of Europe (2009) domestic violence knows no class, age or geographical boundaries, so this study will provide a clear picture of this soundless crime and demonstrate that domestic violence is the most graphic symptom of the imbalance of power in the relationship between men and women (Rosenbaum & O'Leary, 1981). However, it will also depict that domestic violence is a human rights issue because it violates women's most basic human rights and diminishes "women's autonomy and sense of self-worth" (Rosenbaum & O'Leary, 1981). The final task will be to point out that "unremedied domestic violence essentially denies women equality before the law and reinforces their subordinate social status" (Human Rights Watch, 2003). Abmnu and Kwitja (2009) state that "when states foil to prevent and prosecute domestic violence, they treat women as second-class citizens and send a clear message that domestic violence is of no concern to the broader society." Therefore, the international community needs to recognise domestic violence as a serious crime and act accordingly.