Istanbul Convention

2015
Council of Europe Convention on preventing and combating violence against women and domestic violence - Chart of signatories. Council of Europe; 2015. Publisher's VersionAbstract

http://www.conventions.coe.int/Treaty/Commun/ChercheSig.asp?NT=210&CM=&D...

Treaty open for signature by the member States, the non-member States which have participated in its elaboration and by the European Union, and for accession by other non-member States.

This chart visualizes all the countries that have ratified the Istanbul Convention. 

List of declarations made with respect to treaty No.210. Council of Europe; 2015. Publisher's VersionAbstract

http://conventions.coe.int/Treaty/Commun/ListeDeclarations.asp?CL=ENG&NT...

Lists and describes all the countries that have ratified the Istanbul Convention and explains their reservations to the convention, if any. 

2014
Europe takes major step forward to protect women’s rights, says Secretary General Jagland. Statement by the Secretary General on the 10th ratification of the Istanbul convention. Council of Europe; 2014. Publisher's VersionAbstract

http://www.coe.int/en/web/secretary-general/speeches/-/asset_publisher/g...

Today, Andorra became the 10th member state to ratify the Council of Europe's Convention on preventing and combating violence against women and domestic violence, which means that the treaty will enter into force on 1 August for all countries that ratify it.

As the first legally binding set of standards on preventing and combating violence against women and domestic violence in Europe, the convention requires states parties to prevent violence, protect victims, prosecute perpetrators, and co-ordinate measures through comprehensive policies.

LOI n° 2014-476 du14 mai 2014autorisant la ratification de la convention du Conseil de l'Europe sur la prévention et la lutte contre les violences à l'égard des femmes et la violence domestique (1).; 2014. Publisher's VersionAbstract

http://www.legifrance.gouv.fr/eli/loi/2014/5/14/MAEJ1304999L/jo

Est autorisée la ratification de la convention du Conseil de l'Europe sur la prévention et la lutte contre la violence à l'égard des femmes et la violence domestique (ensemble une annexe), signée à Istanbul, le 11 mai 2011, et dont le texte est annexé à la présente loi (2).
La présente loi sera exécutée comme loi de l'Etat.

2013
Kalinsko J. Lithuanian Foreign Minister signs Council of Europe's convention on violence against women.; 2013. Publisher's VersionAbstract

http://www.15min.lt/en/article/politics/lithuanian-foreign-minister-sign...

Lithuania's Foreign Minister Linas Linkevičius has signed the Council of Europe's Convention on Preventing and Combating Violence against Women and Domestic Violence, also known as the Istanbul Convention, which has drawn controversial reactions in the Baltic states.

2012
Poland to sign European convention combating violence against women.; 2012. Publisher's VersionAbstract

http://www.thenews.pl/1/10/Artykul/120471,Poland-to-sign-European-conven...

After opposition from the Church, the Polish government has decided to sign the Council of Europe's Convention on Preventing and Combating Violence Against Women. 

Prime Minister Donald Tusk said that the government had taken the decision at Tuesday's Council of Ministers meeting.

Minta A. A (Polish) History of Violence: The Difficulties of Advancing Women's Rights in the 21st Century. Crossing the Baltic. 2012. Publisher's VersionAbstract

http://crossingthebaltic.com/2012/05/14/a-polish-history-of-violence-the...

This April, a fresh controversy related to gender politics took Polish media by storm. Jarosław Gowin, Poland’s current minister of justice and a Civic Platform politician, stated loud and proud that he would vehemently oppose the signing and ratification of the Council of Europe Convention on preventing and combating violence against women and domestic violence.

The Istanbul Convention and the CEDAW framework: A comparison of measures to prevent and combat violence against women. Council of Europe; 2012. Publisher's VersionAbstract

http://www.coe.int/en/web/genderequality/violence-against-women

Located under "Information About the Instanbul Convention."

 

The Istanbul Convention codifies established standards, jurisprudence and developments at international level, as well as best practice at national level, thereby lending them more weight and ensuring their wider application. Drawing in particular on the framework of measures of the Convention on the Elimination of All forms of Discrimination against Women (CEDAW) and case law developed by the CEDAW Committee, it is firmly based on the premise that violence against women cannot be eradicated without investing in gender equality and that in turn, only real gender equality and a change in attitudes can truly prevent such violence.

The following tables describe the manner in which the Istanbul Convention builds on the three sources that constitute the CEDAW framework: the Convention, General Recommendations and case law. The tables also show how the Istanbul Convention complements these instruments by establishing a more detailed catalogue of legally-binding obligations to prevent and respond to violence against women. The tables do not however contain a detailed explanation of the extensive list of obligations under the Istanbul Convention. 

2011
Opinion 1 on the draft Council of Europe Convention on preventing and combating violence against women and domestic violence. Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe; 2011. Publisher's VersionAbstract

http://assembly.coe.int/nw/xml/XRef/Xref-DocDetails-EN.asp?fileid=17971&...

The Parliamentary Assembly has consistently, repeatedly and forcefully condemned violence against women as one of the most serious violations of human rights in Europe, finding its roots in unequal power relations between women and men and discrimination against women. The Assembly, therefore, warmly welcomes the draft Council of Europe convention on preventing and combating violence against women and domestic violence, as the first international binding instrument specifically devoted to this issue and as an important step forward in the promotion of substantive equality between women and men. 

Bota JM. Opinion 2 on the draft Council of Europe Convention on preventing and combating violence against women and domestic violence. Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe; 2011. Publisher's VersionAbstract

http://assembly.coe.int/nw/xml/XRef/Xref-DocDetails-EN.asp?fileid=13128&...

The Parliamentary Assembly has consistently, repeatedly and forcefully condemned violence against women as one of the most serious violations of human rights in Europe, finding its roots in unequal power relations between women and men and discrimination against women.

The Assembly, therefore, warmly welcomes the draft Council of Europe Convention on preventing and combating violence against women and domestic violence, as the first international binding instrument specifically devoted to this issue and as an important step forward in the promotion of substantive equality between women and men.

While supporting this draft convention, the Committee on Equal Opportunities for Women and Men wishes to propose amendments, with a view to further strengthening the standards set out in the text. 

Time To Take A Stand: Amnesty International Opposes Amendments That Will Weaken The Council Of Europe Treaty On Violence Against Women. Amnesty International; 2011. Publisher's VersionAbstract

https://www.amnesty.org/en/documents/ior61/004/2011/en/

On International Women’s Day 2011, Amnesty International expressed its profound concerns at last minute efforts by some Council of Europe member states to unravel key provisions in a new European treaty on violence against women. This treaty is known as the Council of Europe’s Draft Convention on preventing and combating violence against women and domestic violence. Amnesty International is therefore urging all states in the Council of Europe to oppose any attempts to re-open and undermine the existing draft treaty.

WAVE welcomes landmark European Convention on preventing and combating violence against women and domestic violence. European Network Women Against Violence Europe (WAVE); 2011. Publisher's VersionAbstract

http://test.wave-network.org/content/wave-press-releases

Can be found under 2011-- PR: May 6, 2011: WAVE welcomes landmark European Convention on preventing and combating violence against women and domestic violence

The European Network Women against Violence Europe (WAVE) welcomes the newly adopted Council of Europe Convention which is the first legally binding European human rights instrument for the prevention, investigation and prosecution of violence against women. It is a success for women’s activists across Europe who have been active in combating violence against women for many years. 

 

Council of Europe Convention on preventing and combating violence against women and domestic violence. Council of Europe; 2011. Publisher's VersionAbstract

http://www.coe.int/en/web/istanbul-convention/text-of-the-convention

Stalking, sexual harassment, sexual violence and rape, physical, sexual and psychological abuse at the hands of intimate partners, forced marriage, and forced sterilisation are deeply traumatising acts of violence. The overwhelming majority of victims are women. Adding female genital mutilation and forced abortion as forms of violence that only women can be subjected to, shows the shocking level of diversity in cruel and degrading behaviour that women experience. If we consider the fact that most violence is carried out by men, it is just a small step to understanding that violence against women is structural violence – violence that is used to sustain male power and control. This is even more obvious if we look at the patchy attempts of the police, courts and social services to help women victims which is seen in many countries across the world. 

The Council of Europe Convention on preventing and combating violence against women and domestic violence is based on the understanding that violence against women is a form of gender-based violence that is committed against women because they are women. It is the obligation of the state to fully address it in all its forms and to take measures to prevent violence against women, protect its victims and prosecute the perpetrators. Failure to do so would make it the responsibility of the state. The convention leaves no doubt: there can be no real equality between women and men if women experience gender-based violence on a large-scale and state agencies and institutions turn a blind eye. 

Because it is not only women who suffer domestic violence, parties to the convention are encouraged to apply the protective framework it creates to men, children and the elderly who are exposed to violence within the family or domestic unit. Still, it should not be overlooked that the majority of victims of domestic violence are women and that domestic violence against them is part of a wider pattern of discrimination and inequality.

2006
Albania: Violence Against Women in the Family 'It's Not Her Shame' - Summary. Amnesty International; 2006. Publisher's VersionAbstract

https://www.amnesty.org/en/documents/eur11/005/2006/en/

An estimated one in three women in Albania have been hit, beaten or subjected to other physical violence within their families. Some have been raped, some have been killed.

Husbands, former husbands and partners are responsible for most of these acts of violence against women – abuses which are often condoned by the wider community. Violence against women is widely tolerated on grounds of tradition, even at the highest levels of the government, police and judiciary.

Violence against women is an abuse of the human rights of women and girls. It violates their rights to mental and physical integrity, to liberty and security of the person, to freedom of expression, the right to choice in marriage and the basic requirement of non-discrimination. Violence may amount to torture and in extreme cases, may violate the right to life.