More needs to be done to fight violence against women

"Everywhere in the world, women and girls are the first victims of violence: they are targeted, discriminated against, used, and are objects of abuse of all kinds. This situation is intolerable", declared Constance Le Grip MEP, EPP Group Spokeswoman in the Women's Rights and Gender Equality Committee of the European Parliament.

"The International Day for the Elimination of Violence against Women reminds us that more needs to be done to combat this scourge among all aspects of our society, whether it is in education, at a social or economic level or in our justice system", explained Teresa Jiménez MEP, EPP Group Rapporteur on the Oral Question on combating violence against women, debated today in plenary.

"The European Parliament, especially the EPP Group and the Women's Rights Committee, has demonstrated its full commitment to this cause. It took combating violence against women seriously, which can be seen in the choice of the last two winners of the Sakharov Prize: Malala Yousafzai in 2013 for her battle for the right to education for girls, and the Congolese doctor Denis Mukwege, who will be awarded the prize in Strasbourg tomorrow in homage of his struggle to respect the integrity and dignity of women", concluded Le Grip and Jiménez.