[WATCH] Turning policies on domestic violence into tangible results

Social dialogue minister on the importance of domestic violence awareness

The annual conference of the Commission on Domestic Violence has brought various NGOs and stakeholders together to compare notes and discuss ways in which domestic violence and violence against women can be more effectively tackled.

Social Dialogue minister Helena Dalli, speaking at the conference, highlighted the importance making sure that policy on these issues results in tangible results. She said that she was very happy that Malta had ratified the Istanbul convention on domestic violence and that it had also been translated to Maltese.

“We have ratified the Istanbul Convention, however this means nothing if it doesn’t translate into differences on the ground. We must make the necessary amendments to the laws and inform people of their rights,” said Dalli, adding that she would be exploring the possibility of having the document posted to people’s home.

Dalli said that there is a lot more that needs to be done, including having a broad definition of sexual abuse, as well as better training on how various agencies and departments deal with cases of domestic violence. She added that it is also important for there to be a change in mentality. "Women need to understand the importance of financial independence and must continually work to improve their position in life. Furthermore, it is essential for girls to have female role models so that they are not left with the impression that it is only boys that can aspire to reach certain goals."

Attention was also put on men, and need to understand that there are many different forms of violence against women. Using sexual abuse as an example, Dalli said that a woman being intoxicated and not fully aware of what she is doing is not the same as consent.

She pointed out the importance of understanding that those who are committing this sort of violence also need help themselves. Jailing the perpetrator was not enough as the root cause needs to be addressed, she said.

“If you can’t resolve disagreement using discussion, and must resort to violence, physical or otherwise, then something is not right. Treatment of perpetrator goes hand-in-hand with offering support to victims,” she said.

Over the past years there has been an increase in the number of reported cases of domestic violence, said the minister, however fear and shame were still preventing a lot of women from coming forward.

“In the past, there was an impression of all families being perfect, however there were many cases were there was a considerable amount of violence and bullying that simply went unreported because of fear or shame. We still have a legacy of this, reporting is increasing and that is a positive thing, but we must continue working to find ways of making the family work better,” she said.

Family minister Michael Farrugia said that in his professional career as a doctor, he has encountered many cases where people presented themselves with certain physical symptoms such as headaches or anxiety which unbeknownst to them, were the indirect result of emotional abuse or bullying.

According to Farrugia, a very big problem is that of children witnessing domestic violence, as this has the potential to traumatise them, as well as influence the way they deal with problems and disagreements themselves.

“We must not forget the children. We offer help to the woman and in some cases, offer help to the man, however treatment is not always given to the children,” Farrugia said.

Referring to a recent case of reported abuse, Farrugia said that it was disappointing that at no point were those involved referred to child protection services. He said that it shows how much more needs to be done, when officials who deal with these issues do not even know of the existence of child protection services.

Farrugia also emphasised the importance of women not being financially dependent on anyone. He said that there are many cases where a woman would have not worked much in her life, and is unable to act upon cases of abuse because if she leaves, there is a very realistic possibility that she will fall into poverty.

“We are trying to bring across the message that people need to invest in themselves, and to make sure that they are not dependent on others,” said Farrugia.

The day-long conference continued with a number of panel discussions and workshops involving academics, volunteers and other stakeholders.