November 28, 2016
Ladies and gentlemen, honored guests, good evening. I am happy to have this opportunity to commemorate “Sixteen days against domestic violence” campaign together with you all.
Every year, this campaign aims to draw public attention to the problem of violence against women and to encourage people to not remain indifferent towards the violence that women face. This issue is important to all of us. It is relevant for both the United States and Lithuania.
We have worked closely with many of you when Lithuania enacted a law against domestic violence. This law has been around for five years.
Reports of violence, as far as I know, are increasing. This is a positive sign, showing that the people have finally started to talk about the problem and what assistance can be given to the victim. It also shows that much remains to be done. In particular, it is important to recognize that the safety of children is directly dependent on their mothers’ safety. It is also important to provide more services for the victims of violence.
This October, the Center for Equality launched a U.S. Embassy-funded project on coordinated community response to domestic violence. Today is a great opportunity to talk about it, so I will ask that the Center’s representatives briefly present the project to us.
Thank you to this Center and to all of you for your efforts in this challenging work. I hope to continue to cooperate with you in the promotion and protection of human rights and the fight against domestic violence.
Thank you.
