OSCE Supplementary Human Dimension Meeting, Vienna, 2–3 July 2018

The responsibility of the State

Violence against women is an unfortunate reality both at work and at home. It can only be countered by increased vigilance, well-designed warning systems and education from an early age.

Muslim women have become an easy target because, for some of them, their dress makes them more visible. For more than fifteen years, the question of the veil has been the main engine of Islamophobic argument. Discrimination at work, exclusion in education, and insults or attacks in public space marginalise women who simply hope to live a normal life. In a society where gender equality has still not been achieved, Muslim women are doubly discriminated against and made extremely vulnerable.

In this context, EMISCO calls on:

  • Participating States to create a system to monitor hate crimes against Muslim women, together with an accessible system of legal protection, and to support media campaigns countering populist rhetoric;
  • The OSCE to encourage participating States that have not yet ratified the Istanbul Convention to do so as soon as possible.

Violence against women in public space

According to the Dokustelle Austria report, 98% of the victims of anti-Muslim racism documented in 2017 were women, most of them recognisable as Muslim because of their clothing. Anti-Muslim racism is therefore especially a women’s issue. EMISCO recommends local policing and civil security measures able to prevent public assaults on women.

Protection at work and at home

  • Victims of domestic violence should have access to a hotline, and authorities must be able to act quickly.
  • Police should treat domestic violence as a serious matter, with effective legal remedies.
  • Women should be supported in withstanding pressure from family and friends when reporting violence.
  • When victims seek refuge, male relatives must not be able to track them.
  • Employers should provide training on gender equality, and women should be able to report harassment anonymously.
  • In cases of repeated violence at work, it is the offender, not the woman, who should be moved, and cases should be reported to the police and trade unions.