Gender-based violence against women

The Committee recommends that the State party, in close consultation with women’s groups and experts on gender-based violence prevention, increase efforts toward the prevention of gender-based violence against women, including by introducing teachings about zero tolerance for violence into the school curriculum at all levels and train teachers accordingly; conduct large-scale awareness-raising campaigns in the media on zero tolerance for violence, on recognizing aggressive behaviour and on where to seek help; ensure sufficient support structures are in place for women wishing to leave an aggressive spouse and set up programmes for perpetrators of gender-based violence aimed at non-recurrence.

The Committee recommends that the State party implement the recommendations issued by the Committee on Partner Homicide, including to set up the Permanent Intimate Partner Homicide Commission, and ensure that it is allocated adequate human, technical and financial resources.

The Committee recommends that the State party renew its National Action Plan against rape, which expired in 2022, and conduct a study on the reasons for the discontinuance of a high number of rape cases, including the potential links to gender bias against victims of rape.

The Committee recommends that the State party align the definition of rape with international standards basing it on the lack of consent rather than use of force or threat.

The Committee recommends that the State party include capacity building on the investigation, prosecution and adjudication of domestic violence cases in the mandatory basic education for the judiciary, prosecutors, the police and other law enforcement officers, including on the issuance and monitoring of restraining orders and reverse domestic violence alarms, as well as in the use of SARA and PATRIARK.

The Committee recommends that the State party allocate adequate resources and provide the necessary capacity building to ensure the effective and uniform implementation of the Crisis Centre Law throughout the State party.

The Committee recommends that the State party provide capacity building to relevant law enforcement officers, health professionals and municipal employees to strengthen the identification of victims of gender-based violence among women with disabilities, including through better usage of the TryggEst tool, ensure that women with disabilities have access to confidential and independent complaint mechanisms, and apply the Section 291 of the Penal Code’s on rape in all cases of rape.

The Committe recommends that the State party conduct research into the disproportionate risk of gender-based violence against Sami women to prevent and address the gender-based violence they experience within and outside their community, provide capacity building to law enforcement officials on Sami language and culture, and allocate sufficient human, technical and financial resources to re-establish the Sami crisis centre.

The Committee recommends that the State party intensify monitoring the incidence of violence in the name of so-called “honour” while taking into consideration all circumstances that may lead to the increase or decrease of reporting of these cases and also analyse the reason for the increase in reporting of the latter. It also recommends that the State party disseminate information through different accessible channels, including at school and via social media, and provide support for victims and for women or girls who fear that they may be subjected to violence in the name of so-called “honour”.

The Committee recommends that the State party ensure that the provisions in the Immigration Law and Immigration Regulations are not applied overly restrictively but in a way that protects the rights of women victims of gender-based violence and provide them with the necessary support to access to judicial review of decisions of the immigration authorities.

The Committee recommends that the State party implement the recommendations in the 2022 GREVIO Baseline Evaluation Report.