What is the Istanbul Convention?
The Istanbul Convention is an agreement concluded by the member states of the Council of Europe. The Convention recognizes violence against women as a violation of human rights and a form of discrimination. The Council of Europe is not the same as the European Union. The council was established in 1949 and has 47 members.
The Istanbul Convention aims to be a legal framework to ensure that women in all countries that have ratified the convention enjoy equal protection against violence. The agreement stipulates, among other things, the forms of violence that must be prosecuted. This relates, for example, to psychological violence, stalking, physical violence, sexual violence, forced marriage, forced abortion, genital mutilation and honor-related violence. Countries must also take measures to prevent violence against women.
45 countries have signed the treaty with the European Union. However, not every signatory country has ratified the treaty. The state does not have to implement the treaty until it is ratified. The conservative Eastern European states in particular have decided not to ratify. Bulgaria, Slovakia and Hungary, among others, have not ratified the convention.
