16 days of activism for combating violence against women
Every year, November 25th marks the International Day for the Elimination of Violence against Women. Across the world, between November 25 and December 10, actions are organized for the 16 days of activism for combating violence against women. The purpose of these actions is to raise awareness about the fact that women around the world are subjected to forms of violence that are difficult to imagine, which, for the most part, remain hidden.
The 16 days of activism for combating violence against women will have an echo in the Romanian Parliament. MP Oana Bîzgan organizes, during the period of December 4-5, an exhibition with works by Cynthia Loris – plastic artist and survivor of domestic violence. The ten works of the artist will be displayed in the hall in front of the plenary of the Chamber of Deputies.
“I took an important step when I introduced the Istanbul Convention into national law and I thank my fellow MPs for that. However, we have many steps to take when talking about the implementation of the law, the financial support we have to give to victims of violence and, most importantly, when talking about people’s mentalities. Only by working together can we put an end to a scourge with serious effects on the health, quality of life and well-being of victims and their families, as well as on the development of the whole society. We must give a strong signal that there is 0 tolerance for violence! “
“Every work has a real story behind it. These are the stories of women and children who have passed through times of their lives defined by trauma, domestic violence or who have witnessed it. I made this exhibition because the artist must be a critic of the ugly things in society. Art has to bring to the surface what society wants to hide.”says artist Cynthia Loris.
Violence against women in Romania
In Romania, every 30 seconds, a woman is beaten by her partner. 3 out of 10 Romanians declare that they have been physically, verbally or mentally assaulted since they were 15 years old. 1 in 4 women is physically or sexually assaulted by her partner. 55% of Romanians believe that rape is justified in certain situations. Also, last year there were 20,531 beatings and other acts of violence committed by family members. Of the victims, 76%, i.e 15,584, were women. 46 of these women lost their lives.
To sound an alarm about these cases, during these 16 days of activism, MP Oana Bîzgan chose to wear pieces from the unconventional Manifest collection. It was launched in 2017, by three young Romanian artists – Alina Gurguță, Ellida Toma and Matei Arnăutu.
“The Manifesto project draws attention to a frequently encountered problem, violence against women. The worrying statistics show that no country is foreign to this problem, so today the fight goes on all levels, and an artistic endeavor, meant to bring light and solidarity to the suffering souls, is welcome. More information about this project can be found here: .”
Legislative changes in Romania
Since joining the Romanian Parliament, the independent deputy Oana Bîzgan has been a supporter of the Istanbul Convention and of the legislative changes made with the perspective of 0 tolerance towards domestic violence. “Through these legislative changes, victims of domestic violence can have real support in such cases: the provisional protection order, issued by the police officers. This is essential for a rapid and effective intervention in support of the victim of domestic violence – removing the aggressor from their common residence; it is a measure that will save hundreds of lives annually, if properly applied.” says Oana Bîzgan, Young Global Leader and member of the international network Women Free from Violence.