International Day for the Elimination of Violence Against Women: Istanbul Convention Saving Lives

27-11-2023 

Sofía Medina Sánchez 

International Justice and Human Rights Researcher

Global Human Rights Defence

For the occasion of the International Day for the Elimination of Violence Against Women, the past 25th of November, Dominique Hasler, President of the Committee of Ministers, and Marija Pejčinović Burić, Secretary General of the Council of Europe issued a statement highlighting the importance of the Istanbul Convention in protecting women. Sobering statistics are underscoring the pressing demand to halt this egregious violence against women. 

This year, the European Union ratified the Istanbul Convention, which caused a significant increase in the number of parties and shared a resounding message throughout Europe that eliminating violence against women constitutes a collective priority. Moreover, Ukraine ratified the Convention even under the difficult circumstances caused by the war of aggression, as did the United Kingdom and the Republic of Moldova. 

The Istanbul Convention, stands as a pivotal agreement under the Council of Europe having 38 parties to date, including non-member states. These parties are committed to the convention’s four fundamental pillars: preventing violence, protecting victims, prosecuting perpetrators, and integrating well-coordinated policies.

The independent expert group overseeing the treaty’s implementation (GREVIO) has reported that each state party it has monitored has taken tangible measures to prevent violence against women and address domestic violence.

As indicated by the reports from GREVIO, recent measures have been implemented to prevent perpetrators from approaching their victims. This includes the introduction of new emergency barring orders, enabling law enforcement to temporarily remove domestic violence perpetrators from a shared residence. Additionally, these reports serve as a valuable reference for the European Court of Human Rights when adjudicating cases related to this matter.

Through monitoring, it has been observed that specialised support services, including 24/7 dedicated telephone helplines and shelters for victim protection, are becoming more prevalent. Additionally, the legislative amendments in numerous member states that redefine rape based on the absence of freely given consent are appreciated. This modification now enables the prosecution of cases that were not previously subject to criminalisation under earlier legislation.

The year 2024 will mark the 75th anniversary of the founding of the Council of Europe, rooted in the European Convention on Human Rights and the 10th anniversary of the Council of Europe Convention on Preventing and Combating Violence against Women and Domestic Violence, which came into force in August 2014. 

The statement was closed by calling on the remaining Member States and on interested States outside of Europe to ratify the Istanbul Convention and join the Council of Europe in their efforts to combat and prevent violence against women. Even though significant milestones have been achieved in the past 10 years, much more must be done, considering 1 in 3 women in the world have suffered violence. 

Sources and further reading: 

Council of Europe, Newsroom, How the Istanbul Convention is saving lives, 24 November 2023 : https://www.coe.int/en/web/portal/-/how-the-istanbul-convention-is-saving-lives

United Nations, International Day for the Elimination of Violence Against Women, 25 November: https://www.un.org/en/observances/ending-violence-against-women-day

Council of Europe Convention on preventing and combating violence against women and domestic violence (CETS No. 210), Treaty entered into force 1 August 2018: https://www.coe.int/en/web/conventions/full-list?module=treaty-detail&treatynum=210