International workshop to seek ways to reduce violence and strengthen economic independence in EU and Central Asia

The FINANCIAL — To contribute to the UN and EU held discussion on overcoming obstacles hampering sustainable development and welfare of the global society, the Resource Centre for Women MARTA is carrying out International Workshop “Elimination of Violence – Precondition for Economic Independence of Women” on 3 March.

During the international meeting, representatives of NGOs from Estonia, Italy, Kyrgyzstan, Lithuania, Finland, Tadzhikistan, Uzbekistan, Sweden and Latvia are to consider possible solutions to problems linked with gender based violence – early marriages, violence in the family, trafficking in human beings for sexual exploitation; and the ways violence, gender and economic issues impact the environment, according to European Union.

Through interactive workshops NGOs representatives from Europe and Central Asia will share their experience working with gender based violence and work out recommendations to solve the problems at an international level. The workshop will give an opportunity to the Resource Centre for Women MARTA to contribute its experience of cooperation with Central Asia to promoting and strengthening of the dialogue between Europe and Central Asia, which the Latvian Presidency of the Council of the European Union is aiming at.

The event will be opened by Zanda Kalniņa-Lukaševica, the Latvian Foreign Ministry’s Parliamentary State Secretary for EU Affairs, and Borbala Juhasz, Vice President of the European Women’s Lobby. Myria Vassiliadou, EU Anti-Trafficking Coordinator, will take part in the international workshop. The venue of the event is the Astor Riga Hotel, according to European Union.

As a results of the discussion, recommendations for the UN and EU post-2015 Millennium global development goals and activities focusing on gender-related violence prevention as a prerequisite for the economic empowerment of women will be prepared and submitted to the UN Entity for Gender Equality and the Empowerment of Women (UN Women); the European Union’s Commissioner for Justice, Consumers and Gender Equality, Vera Jourova; the EU Anti-Trafficking Coordinator, Myria Vassiliadou; European Women’s Lobby the umbrella organisation of women’s associations and Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Latvia.