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A FILIA MVAWG PROJECT
About
The FiLiA Hague Mothers’ Campaign (FHM)
FHM is a global campaign which aims to end the injustices created by The Hague Convention on the Civil Aspects of International Child Abduction, specifically for mothers and children who are victims of domestic abuse.
We are women-led and women-centred; a voluntary group of lawyers, academics, domestic abuse professionals, child psychologists, human rights and children’s rights activists, trauma specialists, and Hague mothers, all working to support and safeguard victim-survivors. The international sisterhood in action!
(Please note: we are unable to offer legal advice.)
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News & Views
Campaign News
Open letter regarding Jewel Lazaro, a US mother facing prison sentence in Spain
To the Honourable Minister of Justice Mr Bolaños García
We are writing to formally bring to your attention the serious human rights violations in the case of Jewel Lazaro, a U.S. citizen and mother of two, who has been sentenced to three years and three months in a Spanish prison, due to start a week from today. This conviction arises from her taking her eldest daughter back to the United States to escape domestic violence in Spain—a decision made to protect herself and her children.
Despite her return under the Hague Convention on International Child Abduction in 2021, the father of the children pursued criminal charges against her, resulting in her unjust conviction. However, these criminal charges should not have been legally permissible, as per 2021 U.S. court orders, in which the father had explicitly agreed that he would not bring criminal proceedings against her or separate her from their child upon her return.
This case represents a grave miscarriage of justice and raises serious human rights concerns […].
Read the full letter here: Jewel Lazaro Eng
A blog from our Administrator Krisztina Les – Hungary and Gender Equality: a work in (very slow) progress
Since starting work with FiLiA Hague Mothers, I have developed a habit of starting my sentences and questions with ‘In my context…’ when speaking with my new colleagues. This phrase helps me frame discussions based on my reality and background as a feminist working in Hungary with a women’s rights organisation, particularly in the areas of reproductive rights and supporting victims of domestic violence.
While many aspects of life as a woman in a patriarchal society are similar in the UK, coming from a country that consistently ranks near the bottom in the European Union for gender equality, presents its own unique challenges. The systemic gender inequality, together with an extremely pro-natalist government and deeply rooted misogyny, creates a bleak reality for women across the country.
As a starting point, we have one of the lowest percentages of women in political leadership. Women hold only 14% of parliamentary seats, and the country’s approach to women’s issues is increasingly framed through a narrow lens of family policy. The Orbán government prioritises traditional family structures, defining the role of women primarily as mothers and caregivers. As a result, gender equality initiatives have been systematically dismantled, and women’s issues are relegated to being of secondary importance within family policy frameworks.
Then comes our government’s next shame: the refusal to ratify the Istanbul Convention. The Istanbul Convention is a treaty designed to combat violence against women, but it has been demonised by the government and Orbán as promoting ‘political hysteria’. Although Hungary signed the Convention in 2014, its ratification was rejected under the disguise of protecting Hungarian values. Orbán’s rhetoric dismisses the Convention as a threat to national sovereignty, while perpetuating the harmful narrative that intimate partner violence is ‘genderless’.
For women in Hungary domestic violence could not be less ‘genderless’. It is a pervasive issue that remains seriously under-addressed. It’s estimated that one in five women has experienced physical or sexual violence from their partners. Restraining orders are limited in scope, harder and more complicated to get, and judicial systems often fail to hold perpetrators accountable. Victims are frequently re-traumatised by victim-blaming attitudes among police and legal professionals.
Not surprisingly, reproductive rights are also under attack. Our restrictive abortion laws require women to attend two mandatory counselling sessions aimed to convince them to continue with their pregnancy. In 2022, the government introduced a requirement for women to listen to the foetal heartbeat before obtaining an abortion, a measure widely condemned as coercive and demeaning. Access to contraception remains limited, with no state subsidies for emergency contraception and barriers to obtaining prescriptions.
Feminist organisations like PATENT Association face relentless opposition, including vilification in pro-government media. The most famous case of this was when the government labeled everyone working for a civil society organisation as the agent of György Soros and, as such, a threat to our country. Soros is the founder of Open Society Foundations which has financially supported many civil society organisations in Hungary. Since then, civil society groups face marginalisation and complete exclusion from meaningful policy consultations.
Despite these oppressive conditions, Hungary’s feminist movement continues to fight for change, especially for women. The fight for gender equality in Hungary is not just about policy changes; it is a fight for dignity, justice and the basic human rights of women.
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The Hague Mothers: voices of resilience for the protection of children
Kim Fawcett and Ruth Dineen discuss the Hague Abduction Convention with our partners WAVE (Women Against Violence Europe). They share powerful stories of resilience and advocacy and reveal the often-overlooked consequences of the Convention for victims of domestic abuse. Thanks to WAVE for the opportunity.
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New research: We have lost our humanity…
The bias that prevails in Hague courts, where domestic abuse is routinely minimised or dismissed, and mothers and children are disbelieved, is replicated in family courts worldwide. This important paper from FHM member Dr Sonja Aleb-Karlsson (University College London) looks at the impact of these systemic failings on children in England and Wales. ‘We have […]
FiLiA
A FiLiA MVAWG Project
FiLiA is an UK-based woman-led volunteer organisation with international reach. As part of the Women’s Liberation Movement, our vision is a world free from patriarchy where all women and girls are liberated. FiLiA’s mission is to
- build sisterhood & solidarity – locally, nationally, globally
- amplify the voices of women – particularly those less often heard or purposefully silenced
- defend women’s human rights
Our volunteer team has organised a Feminist conference – now the largest in Europe – since 2013, with speakers from 79 countries. Check out our website to learn more.
CONTACT
Get in touch
Email us: Hague@FiLiA.org.uk / AdminHague@FiLiA.org.uk
Find us on X: @FiLiAHagueMums
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Please note: FHM is a voluntary, global campaign without full-time staff. We are not able to provide legal advice and there may be a short delay before we are able to respond to emails or DMs.
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