THE ‘One Woman At A Time Cyprus’ (OWAAT) NGO hopes to attract one million views for its TedX Nicosia Women video to present to the Justice ministry with recommendations to adopt a new law that provides simplified self-help forms for abused women to file for restraining orders and divorces.
Even though in Cyprus the law provides for self-help for no contact and divorce, “extrapolating it to get all entitlements to its protections is complex and confusing even for attorneys,” the founder of OWAAT Patricia Martin told the Cyprus Mail.
She said that OWAAT’s volunteer attorney Dr. Anna Plevri intends to recommend the ministry of justice adopt OWAAT-like simplified forms for access to court for human rights protections, or adopt the NGO’s self-help forms for no contact applications, absent evidence of violence, or to start divorce procedures on their own.
The organisation aims to teach women how to grasp the law in these areas and become self-represented litigants so they can get access to the courts for restraining orders against their abusers without the help of a lawyer.
Martin said that last June Cyprus signed the Istanbul Convention on preventing and combating violence against women and domestic violence, but it has not yet ratified it as the convention provides for a proactive state systematic legal and social approach. “Cyprus at present does not prescribe such measures, albeit necessary given the increasing numbers of femicides”, four just between 2014 and 2015.
Hence, she said, under the Istanbul Convention, “the key word missing now in current Cypriot state laws is to provide a means for proactive prevention measures for “women and girls at risk.”
In most cases, she said, the abuser commits suicide and harms or murders children. “These alarming statistics are reason enough for the ministry of Justice to adopt OWAAT-like simple forms, because apparently the current domestic violence prevention state law costs too much to claim and its protections come far too late,” Martin said.
A new law in Cyprus is needed, she said, because people should not die waiting for a no-contact order. “It should be made easy for abused women and men to obtain, immediately and absent evidence of violence.”
Last October the Justice ministry released data according to which, in the past decade 30 women have lost their lives due to domestic violence. A month later, Justice minister Ionas Nicolaou said that his department is taking a number of measures and actions in collaboration with other ministries involved for gradual implementation of the provisions of the Istanbul Convention. He also said that his ministry and the Legal Service are preparing a bill to criminalise stalking as provided for in the convention.
Earlier in the month, OWAAT launched the world’s first self-help Greek website that provides human rights information, simple instructions and fill-in-the blanks application forms for divorce and emergency restraining orders.
OWAAT also aims to launch the website in Russian and Arabic this year.
To show your support click TedX Nicosia Women to view and share.
For information visit www.owaat-cy.com.
