Today, the President of GREVIO Professor Feride Acar, along with the UN Special Rapporteur on Violence again Women, its causes and consequences, Ms Dubravka Šimonovic, participated in an exchange of views with the Standing Committee of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe. In her intervention, the President of GREVIO focused on progress with ratification and implementation of the Istanbul Convention by the State parties, the positive impact of the convention at national level, key findings and challenges identifed by GREVIO monitoring as well as the important role of parliaments in monitoring the implementation of the convention. She also addressed some of the concerns regarding backlash against the convention which has slowed down the process of ratification in some of the member states.

During the exchange that followed, the President and participating parliamentarians discussed the importance of public debates in support of the convention, examples of the positive impact of the convention, promoting the convention as a global tool to end gender based violence, the importance of education and changing mindsets, supporting civil society organisations working with women’s rights and issues related to violence against women, and political commitment and leadership to counter attacks on the convention and ensure its effective implementation in practice.