Let's stop the violence epidemic

After decades and centuries of women's struggle for recognition by society and the government of gender-based violence and harassment, it's time for public action. Everyone should be aware of the damage that gender-based violence has caused, especially to women and children, and that violence is ingrained, dominant, and systematic in society. The time for awakening has passed, and the facts are available. Now action is needed.

The Socialist Party of Iceland invites voters to vote for the following measures in the parliamentary elections this autumn:

A Violence Oversight Body (Ofbeldisgæslu) will be established that investigates, at the suggestion or initiative of workplaces, schools, and public places, and has the power to respond where it is shown that violence and harassment are rampant, remove perpetrators, revoke operating licenses from places, and use other means to ensure the safety of staff, students, and guests.

Oversight shall be specifically directed at places where power imbalances are significant due to income differences, age differences, or differences in origin, status, or power.

An independent police and prosecution institute (Sjálfstæð lögreglu- og ákærustofnun) will be established with qualified staff specializing in the investigation and proceedings of gender-based violence cases, developing investigative methods suitable for victims and the seriousness of cases, supporting court proceedings, and providing support for victims before and after litigation.

Victims of crime are granted free legal representation to pursue civil cases against criminals.

The most serious acts of violence occur within the home, where people experience the most prolonged and severe violence. The government's response to domestic violence must be commensurate with its severity and prevalence. Perpetrators shall always be removed from homes, and victims must be protected from perpetrators. A home shall be operated for perpetrators who are not imprisoned or in custody. Representatives of the Violence Oversight Body shall always appear at the scene, along with child protection authorities if children are in the home, together with the response and investigative police, and protect the interests of victims during the investigation of cases with the police, the prosecution, and other public proceedings and follow-ups. Victims receive appropriate treatment and follow-up for the violence and the trauma that accompanies it.

Courses will be developed for all staff who work with children to increase knowledge of the signs of violence against children and how to respond. Those who work with children will be required to have completed such courses.

Courses will be held for the staff of healthcare institutions and those who provide personal assistance to people living with a disability, whether physical or mental, or an impairment of some kind. The training is intended to prevent violence at the hands of caregivers, whether conscious or unconscious, and how best to recognize its symptoms and respond.

It will also be required that officials in public institutions have completed courses on violence, and the same requirements will be made for all private companies doing business with the state and municipalities.

Curriculum on gender studies, sexual violence, and other violence will be developed and implemented for all levels of preschool, primary school, and upper secondary school. Educational material will be prepared for the general public.

Victims of crime will be guaranteed treatment for their trauma. Compensation and damages shall be paid from public funds to those who have suffered violence and harm and are unable to claim such compensation in civil cases. The Compensation Committee (Bótanefnd) aims for a lower standard of proof than is the case in criminal cases.

Gender-based violence is a serious scourge in society that causes great personal harm, reduces people's activity, and causes widespread insecurity in society. It is therefore important to work to reduce this epidemic as much as possible. It is important to increase everyone's awareness of the physical and mental consequences of violence, as well as to build institutions and resources to deal with them.

This is the role of the public sector: to adapt the institutions of society to the plight of the people, to defend them against threats, to support them, and to strengthen them.