Combating Violence Against Women in Ukraine (COVAW)

The COVAW project has been designed in line with the Council of Europe Action Plan for Ukraine (2018-2022) as regards supporting national legislation and policy reforms related to combatting domestic violence, and raising awareness of authorities and the Ukrainian public concerning both the Istanbul Convention and violence against women.

The two components of COVAW – awareness raising and legislative frameworks – provide a double level of support to Ukraine in preventing and combating violence against women and domestic violence in line with the standards of the Istanbul Convention.
The project will specifically aim to contribute to the success of the Action Plan through supporting the following priorities:
- adoption of necessary legislation for the ratification of the Istanbul Convention by working with the relevant Committees of the Verkhovna Rada
- increased awareness of the authorities at different levels regarding the problem of violence against women and domestic violence in Ukraine and the need to combat it; sharing information about the Istanbul Convention and other international standards in this area
- raising awareness of society on combating stereotypes and gender inequality, risks of domestic violence and the international standards to combat it, including the Istanbul Convention
- strengthened capacities and increased knowledge of relevant professionals and stakeholders, including in selected amalgamated communities
- identification of gaps hindering prevention of violence against women, protection of victims of this violence, prosecution of perpetrators or integrated policies at a central or local level
- legislative reforms and improved policy to aid victims of violence against women and domestic violence
The project will work throughout Ukraine to contribute to the creation of an efficient system of protection of victims of violence against women and domestic violence.


Donors to the Council of Europe Action Plan for Ukraine (2018-2022)

1 January 2021 - 31 December 2022

The project is implemented by the Capacity Building and Co-operation Projects Unit at the Council of Europe’s Gender Equality Division
Jenna SHEARER DEMIR, Programme Adviser, Project Manager
together with the Council of Europe Office in Kyiv
Valeriia TKACHENKO, Senior Project Officer
Tetiana ANTONCHENKO, Project Assistant

- Co-operation projects
- HELP online course on violence against women and domestic violence
- Co-operation Newsroom
- Co-operation with the EEA and Norway Grants
- PGG: Strengthening access to justice for women victims of violence (2015-2018)
- PGG II: Women's Access to Justice (2019-2022)
- Preventing and Combating Violence against Women in Armenia (2018)
- The Path towards Armenia's Ratification of the Council of Europe Convention on Preventing and Combating Violence against Women and Domestic Violence
- Raising Bosnia and Herzegovina's institutional capacity to prevent and combat violence against women and domestic violence (2019)
- Preventing and Combating Violence against Women in Georgia (2018-2019)
- Reinforcing the fight against violence against women and domestic violence in Kosovo* (Phase II), 2019 -2021
- Co-operation on the implementation of the Russian Federation National Action Strategy for Women 2017–2022 (2019-2020)
- The Istanbul Convention: a tool to advance in fighting violence against women and domestic violence in Ukraine (2018-2020)
- Co-operation with Southern Mediterranean countries
- Promoting an Integrated Approach to End Violence against Women and Enhancing Gender Equality in Georgia (2020-2022)
- Awareness-raising Activities on the Istanbul Convention in the Republic of Moldova (2020-2021)
- Fostering a comprehensive institutional response to violence against women and domestic violence in Turkey
- Raising awareness of the Istanbul Convention and other gender equality standards in Azerbaijan
- Combating Violence Against Women in Ukraine (COVAW)
- Contact us -coop projects
- Reinforcing the fight against violence against women and domestic violence in Kosovo* (phase III)
- Cooperation for the implementation of the Russian Federation National Action Strategy for Women: applying best practices
- Fostering women’s access to justice in Türkiye
- Supporting the implementation of the Istanbul Convention in the Republic of Moldova
- Ending violence against women: multi-country programme
- Raising awareness of the Istanbul Convention: methodology and toolkit for civil society organisations