Preventing and Combating Violence against Women
Violence against women is the most common violation of women’s human rights in Europe, but progress with policy and legal reform to tackle this phenomenon is slow. The Council of Europe is playing a leading role in preventing and combating all forms of violence against women through ground-breaking standards and awareness-raising activities.
Violence against women remains widespread in all member States of the Council of Europe, with devastating consequences for women, societies and economies. Opened for signature in May 2011, the Council of Europe Convention on Preventing and Combating Violence against Women and Domestic Violence (Istanbul Convention) is the most far-reaching international treaty to tackle this serious violation of human rights.
Information about the Istanbul Convention
Publications on the Istanbul Convention:
- Infographics on the four pillars of the Istanbul Convention, 2020
- Handbook for parliamentarians on the Council of Europe Istanbul Convention, 2019
- Questions and answers on the Istanbul Convention, 2019
- Protecting migrant women, refugee women, and women asylum-seekers from gender-balanced violence, 2019
- “The Istanbul Convention – A tool to end female genital mutilation” - Council of Europe / Amnesty International - Guide, 2016
- General Leaflet on the Istanbul Convention, 2014
- A global tool to prevent and combat violence against women, 2014
- 12 steps to comply with the Council of Europe Convention on preventing and combatting violence against women and domestic violence, 2013
Papers on different articles of the Istanbul Convention:
- Gender-Based asylum claims and non-refoulement: Articles 60 and 61 of the Istanbul Convention, 2019
- Emergency barring orders in situations of domestic violence: Article 52 of the Istanbul Convention, 2017
- Establishing national co-ordinating bodies - Analytical report of common challenges and lessons learned from bodies set up under different international human rights treaties: Article 10 of the Istanbul Convention, 2016
- Ensuring data collection and research: Article 11 of the Istanbul Convention, 2016
- Encouraging the participation of the private sector and the media in the prevention of violence against women and domestic violence: Article 17 of the Istanbul Convention
Ukrainian-Albanian-Serbian, 2016 - Domestic and sexual violence perpetrator programmes: Article 16 of the Istanbul Convention, 2015
- Prevention of violence against women: Article 12 of the Istanbul Convention, 2014
- Raising awareness of violence against women : Article 13 of the Istanbul Convention-Albanian-Serbian, 2014
Recommendation Rec (2002) 5
- Analytical study of the results of the 4th round of monitoring the implementation of Recommendation Rec(2002) 5 - 2014
- Analytical study of the results of the 3rd round of monitoring the implementation of Recommendation Rec (2002) 5 - 2010
- Analytical study of the results of the 2nd round of monitoring the implementation of Recommendation Rec (2002) 5 - 2008
- Analytical study on the effective implementation of Recommendation Rec(2002) 5 on the protection of women against women violence in Council of Europe member states - 2007
Information on the Council of Europe Convention on Action against Trafficking in Human Beings
The Council of Europe Convention on Action against Trafficking in Human Beings recognises that trafficking in human being is a heavily gendered phenomenon and contains several strong references to gender equality and gender mainstreaming.
Other tools and publications of the Council of Europe
- The Istanbul Convention: a tool to advance in fighting violence against women and domestic violence in Ukraine, 2019
- The Istanbul Convention: a tool to advance in fighting violence against women and domestic violence in Ukraine (Ukrainian)
- New Council of Europe methodology and tools help countries to map support services for victims of violence against women, 2019
- Study by the Inter-Parliamentary Union and the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe on sexism, harassment and violence against women in parliaments in Europe, 2018
- New HELP online course on Violence against Women and Domestic Violence, 2017
- Declaration of the Committee of Ministers on the need to intensify the efforts to prevent and combat female genital mutilation and forced marriage in Europe, 2017
- Study “ Improving the management of violence experienced by women who use psychoactive substances”, by the Council of Europe Pompidou Group - Co-operation Group to Combat Drug Abuse and Illicit Trafficking in Drugs, 2016
- Overview of Studies on the Costs of Violence against Women and domestic Violence, 2012
- Combating violence against women: Stocktaking study on the measures and actions taken in Council of Europe member states, 2006
