Combating Violence And Discrimination Against Women

This Commentary provides the first comprehensive analysis of the Council of Europe (CoE) Convention on preventing and combating violence against women and domestic violence (the Istanbul Convention). It offers a complete article-by-article guide to the Convention with reference to the explanatory report, the findings of the monitoring body (GREVIO) and relevant State practice.

The Convention on Preventing and Combating Violence against Women and Domestic Violence (CETS No. 210) is the first legally binding instrument to address violence against women and domestic violence in Europe. It contains a wide range of obligations aiming to prevent violence, protect its victims, prosecute the perpetrators, implement coordinated policies and promote international co-operation. It also envisages a monitoring mechanism. The convention recognizes violence against women as a violation of human rights and is a major step forward in achieving gender equality in law and in fact.

Violence against women is one of the most widespread, pervasive and serious violations of human rights affecting every country or area of the globe. Domestic violence against women and girls – commonly known as intimate partner violence or family violence – concerns any form of physical, psychological, sexual, or economic abuse perpetrated by partners and relatives. It encompasses multiple and varied acts and behaviors – ranging from emotional and verbal abuse to femicide – aiming at affirming power and control over women and their lives. Although combating this form of violence is especially challenging in the context of private settings, domestic violence is no longer treated as a “private matter”. Decades of mobilization and sensitization of societies and institutions, strongly supported by the restless action of women’s movements, have contributed to making violence against women a priority on the national and international agendas. Indeed, the road to the adoption of international binding instruments and national legislation on domestic violence has been long and twisted. Nonetheless, today women are protected against violence by some landmark legal instruments adopted at the global, regional and national levels. This book aims to offer a systematic overview of the legal protection afforded to women and girls against domestic violence and other relevant forms of violence and discrimination, while also critically assessing the state of the law at international, regional and domestic levels. Special focus is placed on the European and Italian legal frameworkS.

This guide, produced jointly by Amnesty International and the Council of Europe, aims at helping design policies and measures to better address female genital mutilation and to pave the way for change. It is based on the Council of Europe Convention on Preventing and Combating Violence against Women and Domestic Violence (also known as the Istanbul Convention), which entered into force in August 2014. The Istanbul Convention is the first treaty to recognise that female genital mutilation exists in Europe and that it needs to be systematically addressed (Article 38 of the Convention). It requires states parties to step up preventive measures by addressing affected communities, as well as the general public and relevant professionals. It entails obligations to offer protection and support when women and girls at risk need it most – and makes sure that their needs and their safety always come first.

This book theoretically explores intersectionality within human rights norms on violence against women and the derived duties for States.

The Judicial Resource Book on Violence Against Women for Asia deepens our understanding of the forms of VAWG and raises awareness of the role that the judiciary can play in tackling them. It can be used by judicial officers and other professionals to promote justice and fairness in the judicial process for women who have been victims of violence.

Violence against women and children is a serious public health concern, with costs at multiple levels of society. Although violence is a threat to everyone, women and children are particularly susceptible to victimization because they often have fewer rights or lack appropriate means of protection. In some societies certain types of violence are deemed socially or legally acceptable, thereby contributing further to the risk to women and children. In the past decade research has documented the growing magnitude of such violence, but gaps in the data still remain. Victims of violence of any type fear stigmatization or societal condemnation and thus often hesitate to report crimes. The issue is compounded by the fact that for women and children the perpetrators are often people they know and because some countries lack laws or regulations protecting victims. Some of the data that have been collected suggest that rates of violence against women range from 15 to 71 percent in some countries and that rates of violence against children top 80 percent. These data demonstrate that violence poses a high burden on global health and that violence against women and children is common and universal. Preventing Violence Against Women and Children focuses on these elements of the cycle as they relate to interrupting this transmission of violence. Intervention strategies include preventing violence before it starts as well as preventing recurrence, preventing adverse effects (such as trauma or the consequences of trauma), and preventing the spread of violence to the next generation or social level. Successful strategies consider the context of the violence, such as family, school, community, national, or regional settings, in order to determine the best programs.