Femcities Conferences
As early as 1986 the European Parliament issued a resolution concerning violence against women. Among other points, the Resolution recommends in article 26 EU Member States to provide sufficient places in women's shelters – the rate of one family place per 10.000 inhabitants:
“With regard to the availability of refuges, calls on housing authorities to recognize: the necessity of providing adequate refuge provision, at the rate of one family place per 10 000 inhabitants, that refuges constitute temporary emergency accommodation and should not be classified as "permanent accommodation" the right of all battered women to permanent re-housing, in good standard accommodation, when they feel ready to leave the protection of a refuge, the right of women to return to their own home without the presence of a violent spouse, the necessity for the implementation of measures, in particular civil law, to ensure that any material disadvantage are borne by the author of the violence, the need to provide care and assistance for all battered women, regardless of their marital status or whether or not they have children, the right of the children of these mothers to be accommodated within the education system and given the care necessary to overcome their emotional problems, the necessity of providing information to women on their housing rights and the provision of refuges in their area.”
