SCW hosts anti-domestic violence meeting

Manama, May 21 (BNA): The Secretariat-General of the Supreme Council for Women (SCW) has hosted a meeting to follow up on the implementation of the National Strategy to Protect Women from Domestic Violence which was launched by the SCW in November, 2015. Chaired by the Assistant Secretary-General Dhawiya Al-Alawi, the first meeting was attended by representatives of the Education Ministry, the Justice, Islamic Affairs and Endowments Ministry, the Interior Ministry and the Information Affairs Ministry. The SCW affirmed the importance of consolidating the role of its partners in the executive sides to go ahead with the implementation of the strategy to achieve the ultimate goal of protecting women from all forms of domestic violence, expressing its readiness to provide the partners with the expertise and work mechanisms needed for performance follow-up and evaluation. It also stressed the role of the national team in following up on the implementation of the national strategy for every ministry or institution, and attending periodic meetings to discuss the progress made to provide the SCW with updates on the programmes and implementation progress indicators every quarter basis. The meeting reviewed the executive plan of the SCW, and the requirements of the implementation of the National Anti-Domestic Violence Strategy for partners, as well as the future implementation steps. It explained that the Executive Plan of the SCW includes the primary prevention of domestic violence before it occurs by supporting the family’s role in maintaining, developing and protecting its members through education, culture and development of social values and skills, enhancing the role of educational institutions in protecting women against domestic violence. It also includes secondary prevention of domestic violence through addressing risk factors and developing family culture programmes, such as the family counseling and guidance and at the Women’s Support Centre, the Family Reconciliation Skills Programme and the Family Culture, the women-supporting training portfolio and the woman economic empowerment programmes. Regarding "Protection and Services", the SCW affirmed its constant readiness to support the victims of domestic violence, providing integrated institutional services, delivering the needed services, building the capacities of the prevention, protection and rehabilitation staff, dealing legally with domestic violence cases, as well as deterring and rehabilitating the perpetrators of violence. The SCW underlined its close follow-up on the implementation of Law 17/2015 on the protection from domestic violence. It is also assessing its role in protecting women from domestic violence and reviewing national laws to ensure they are consistent with the provisions of the Constitution and the international anti-domestic violence conventions. The SCW also affirmed the importance of the media in protecting women from domestic violence through launching programmes to raise awareness on the principles of prevention, protection and services, and promoting the anti-domestic violence culture. It also called for taking advantage of the social media networks in this regard. The SCW also pointed out that it is conducting more scientific studies on domestic violence, and setting up a data base to monitor cases. It is to be noted that the Supreme Council for Women (SCW) launched on November 23, 2016, the National Strategy for the Protection of Women from Domestic Violence, which is part of the kingdom’s efforts, and is consistent with the sustainable development goals. The strategy calls for intensifying efforts to prevent domestic violence before treatment through consolidating the self immunity among women of all age groups, as well as through making positive change in the attitudes and behaviour of members of the society towards women, creating a violence-free family environment, and the periodic review of the cultural, social, economic and legal infrastructure.