10th Anniversary of the Istanbul Convention



10th Anniversary of the Istanbul Convention

Today, 6 of April 2021, marks the 10th Anniversary of Signing the Istanbul Convention.

The Istanbul Convention is an international treaty to help tackle violence against women and girls. It is very important for women and girls with disabilities as, on average, they are 2 to 5 times more likely to face violence than other women and girls.

The Convention recognises the forms of violence faced by women and girls with disabilities (such as forced sterilisation for example) and gives the tools to combat violence and support victims with disabilities. You can find more information on the Convention and how to use it on our dedicated webpage.

10 years after the signature of the Convention:

  • 33 European countries have ratified the Convention.
  • 13 countries and the European Union have not ratified the Convention.
  • Turkey has withdrawn from the Convention – this means it has decided to not be a State Party anymore.
  • Organisations of women and girls with disabilities have reported to the Group of Experts in charge of monitoring of the Convention on violence against women and girls with disabilities in their country.

10 years after the signature of the Convention we still need it more than ever:

  • Domestic and gender-based violence has increased in many European countries since the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic.
  • Women and girls with disabilities continue to be victims and face barriers in reporting and accessing justice.
  • Countries continue to apply discriminatory laws that punish offenders less for crimes and violence against women and girls with disabilities.

We are extremely concerned by initiatives to withdraw from the Istanbul Convention. We will continue to call on the European Union and all European countries to ratify the Istanbul Convention.

More information:

Contact:

Marine Uldry, EDF Human Rights Officer
Contact: marine.uldry@edf-feph.org
Twitter: @Marine_Uldry