Prievarta ir moterų teisės

Abstract

Violence against women should be considered as violation of human rights. In the past few years violence has become one of the most real problems in Lithuania. The majority of Lithuanians have experienced violence, which begins in the family but has spread to teaching institutions and the workplace. Often women and girls are the victims of violence. Parents beat heavily both boys and girls. Whereas nearly a fifth of women were heavily beaten in their marital family, the majority of them more than once. One-fifth of women has experienced attempted rape. Sexual harassment is widespread in workplaces and educational institutions. With the collapse of the socialist camp one new problem of violation of women's rights had arose: international trafficking in women. Some of the girls and women leave to work as prostitutes in Western countries voluntarily, but greater part of them is taken off under the pretext of other sorts of work: waitress, nanny and so forth. Even marriage offers are used. Under-age girls are provided with false documents, "to facilitate border crossing", etc. In the last years many people, especially girls, have been disappearing without a trace in Lithuania. At the present time there are 30 missing girls. In all probability, some of them have ended up in the hands of international dealers in the illegal trade of women. The police and society, particularly non-governmental organizations, shoud work together more closely in the area of violence against women. Only by working closely together we can curtail the level of crime and strengthen the public's trust in the police force.