Acting chair of the Romanian Senate Alina Gorghiu says that in the fight against violence against women, mentalities have to change as actions are needed to combat any form of negative discrimination against women and girls, Agerpres reports.

„Today, November 25, is International Day for the Elimination of Violence against Women. It’s a subject that I really don’t want to avoid, and we really can’t avoid it because in recent years in Romania the legislation has been amended for the better. We managed to introduce electronic bracelets for aggressors and restraining orders. All these measures managed to increase women’s safety in Romania. (…) Parliament can change laws, but you should know that mentalities are the ones that have to change as well, and they are more difficult to change. The antechamber of domestic violence is the ‘woman in the kitchen’ mentality. This is not a word in the wind. Romanian women are first in Europe at being housewives. Action is needed to combat all forms of negative discrimination against women, against girls,” said Gorghiu on Facebook on Friday, in an International Day for the Elimination of Violence against Women video message.

She drew attention to the fact that the number of assaults remains „dizzyingly high,” as in 2021 alone, 69 women died as a result of domestic violence.

„This year, in the first nine months, we are talking about approximately 66,000 responses by the Police in cases of domestic violence, with 41,000 of them regarding criminal offences. And 15,000 restraining orders were issued. And it is unacceptable for home, the place that should be the safest, to become a boxing ring, where punches are meted out, where fatal blows are meted out, where psychological violence reaches its peak,” added Gorghiu.

She congratulated the embassies in Romania that have signed a joint declaration on violence against women, and the Network for preventing and combatting violence against women on the marches organised in Bucharest and throughout the country to mark November 25.

The International Day for the Elimination of Violence against Women is marked every year on November 25. In 2022, the themeis „UNITE! Activism to End Violence against Women & Girls,” and orange is the colour in which main buildings and landmarks of the cities light up to signify a brighter future, free from violence against women and girls.

Agerpres