Nazra for Feminist Studies concludes today, International Human Rights Day, its campaign ‘’Fantasy or Reality’’. This year’s campaign shed light on the implementation of the ‘’National Strategy to Combat Violence against Women’’ issued by the National Council for Women in 2015, between our hopes and reality. It also focused on the services that should be provided by the state to women survivors of violence, their quality, and how far they meet international standards.

‘’Fantasy or Reality’’ also focused on the measures that should be followed by the state to prevent violence against women, as well as the importance of a referral system between different state agencies. This year’s activities included the publishing of papers, visual designs and a press conference to announce a draft of a unified law to combat violence against women, which many feminist and human rights organizations worked on as part of a joint “Task-Force for a unified law to combat violence against women’’.

Within the framework of ‘’Fantasy or Reality’’ campaign’s end and the continuity of crimes of violence against women in both the private and public spheres, Nazra for Feminist Studies issues a set of recommendations:

1- Adopt a unified law to combat violence against women that takes into consideration the efforts and remarks of the “Task-Force for a unified law to combat violence against women’’,  which published its suggested draft law on the 3rd of December of the current year.

2- Revise the “National Strategy to Combat Violence against Women’’ issued by the National Council for Women, and re-evaluating it transparently, as well as adopting a monitoring mechanism that involves civil society organizations.

3- Resolve shortcomings of state services provided to survivors of violence, which includes:

A- Integrate a gender perspective in the Ministry of Interior in all administrations, directorates and police stations, so that the process of reporting these crimes becomes a safe one that preserves survivors’ right to privacy and physical and psychological integrity.

 B- Establish special courts for crimes of violence against women.

 C- Adopt a holistic referral system that links all state institutions and facilitates the management of cases of violence against women.

 E- Increase the number of shelters for survivors of violence, so that there is at least a shelter in each geographic region (North Delta, Greater Cairo, Upper Egypt, Canal Cities, etc.), and create a safe environment in these shelters that empower women to make their own decisions.

 H- Equip hospitals to receive survivors of violence by training staff members in public and private hospitals on using the medical protocol issued by UNFPA and the Egyptian Ministry of Health on how to deal with survivors of violence, and provide rape kits in all hospitals.