The European Parliament in Strasbourg, France, has endorsed the UNIFEM campaign Say NO to Violence against Women and has called on the European Commission to designate a “European Year on Zero Tolerance of Violence against Women” to highlight the issue within the next five years. Say NO to Violence against Women is a public awareness and Internet advocacy initiative calling upon governments worldwide to make ending violence against women and girls a top priority. It is part of the UN Secretary-General’s larger UNiTE to End Violence against Women campaign. Swedish Member Eva-Britt Svensson sponsored a written declaration which included both the endorsement for the UNIFEM campaign and the call for broader European political will to stop violence against women.
Compiled from: UNIFEM News Release, "European Parliament calls for a Year on Zero Tolerance of Violence against Women", 21 April 2009 .