‘Domestic violence is everyone’s business’, new theme of campaign launched by Lydia Abela

“Domestic Violence is everyone’s business” is the new theme for the campaign launched by Lydia Abela, the Prime Minister’s wife, at the Office of the Commission on Gender-Based Violence and Domestic Violence.

At the launch of the campaign which will see 16 days of activism to raise awareness about domestic violence, Abela said that domestic violence affects different people and that awareness must be raised all year round.

Abela mentioned the murder of Bernice Cassar that took place on Tuesday in Kordin and while she said that no words are of consolation for the victim’s family, “we must stand with one voice, with a strong message that domestic violence is everyone’s business.”

The Parliamentary Secretary for Reforms and Equality Rebecca Buttigieg said that domestic violence is not a problem of an individual or of a particular group, but of an entire society that needs to fight this scourge every day.

She explained that the theme of this year’s campaign shows that the message is really true because no violence should be kept secret.

“While much has been done, the government is committed to continue allocating more resources in order to overcome this social scourge, this by introducing, among others, a new law that gives tools to people in a relationship to see if their partner has a history of domestic violence in their conduct and thus people would be in a position to make an informed decision in the interest of their own health and safety”, said Buttigieg.

The Commissioner on Gender-Based Violence and Domestic Violence Audrey Friggieri who was also present, said that in the face of realities such as abuse and violence “we cannot turn away”. She said that such campaigns are important because they continue to contribute to information and prevention.