Moviment Graffitti held two days of activities protesting against the repeated cycle of violence women suffer from - physical, domestic, psychological and emotional, in honour of the International Day for the Elimination of Violence against Women.
A performance titled "L-istupratur huwa int" (You are the Rapist) was held outside the Law Courts in Valletta in collaboration with activists from Young Progressive Beings and Women's Rights Foundation. The performance highlighted that the blame should be given to both the abuser as well as to society and institutions who choose to ignore the rising problem of violence against women and its urgency.
A report issued by the Council of Europe accused the Maltese Authorities, which included the police and judiciary, of their failing sensitivity towards cases of domestic or sexual abuse towards women, they said.
During the demonstration, placards were carried with the names of 16 women murdered in Malta who fell victims to gender violence since 2010. There were also shoes on display, symbolising missing women.
Moviment Graffitti condemned those who dismiss misogynistic comments as merely trivial, saying that there's a refusal to "make the connection between misogynistic microaggressions and these extreme violations." They noted that this sexist behaviour is still seen across many Maltese media institutions.
The group emphasized that only one in three sexual assaults are reported to the police, under the knowing risk that women may face shame, guilt and trauma from law enforcement and judicial institutions themselves. The group expressed that this is a society which rebuffs its failure to help these women and laments that women deserve better.