The Council of Europe HELP online course Violence against women and domestic violence was launched in cooperation with the National Bar Council of Italy (Consiglio Nazionale Forense). The online session was held on 23 June gathering a group of 35 lawyers.

Participants were introduced to the Human Rights Education for Legal Professionals (HELP) Programme of the Council of Europe and its online platform that includes a catalogue of 35 online courses.

Following the presentation of the HELP Programme, the session continued with a presentation by Simona Lanzoni, second vice-president of the Group of Experts on Actions against Violence against women and Domestic Violence (GREVIO), who explained to the participants the importance of the Council of Europe Convention on Preventing and combating violence against women (Istanbul Convention) and the work of GREVIO.

Elisabetta Rosi, member of the Council of Europe Working Group for the development of the HELP course, guided participants through the course by illustrating its objectives and added value. Finally, participants met the tutor, Giovanna Franzese, who will accompany them in the implementation of the online course for the following three months.

Following the online launch event, participants will be enrolled on the course page and will go through the online course, moderated by the national tutor. Those among them who successfully complete the course will receive a HELP certificate jointly issued by the Council of Europe and the National Bar Council.

The Council of Europe HELP course on Violence Against Women and Domestic Violence is available to any legal professional interested in the topic in the self-learning part of the HELP online platform. It covers in an interactive way the key concepts, the international and European legal framework and case law governing the prevention and protection of women and girls from violence, focusing in particular on the Istanbul Convention. Furthermore, the course provides the legal professionals with practical tools for dealing with cases of violence against women and domestic violence with respect to a human rights and victim centred approach.

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