The package of amendments aimed at improving the Ukrainian legislative framework in the field of domestic violence and violence against women, including the draft law on the ratification of the Istanbul Convention, is expected to be discussed at the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine (VRU) in the third quarter of 2016, after it passes governmental approval from all relevant key Ministries of Ukraine. In this context, a series of events aimed at fostering parliamentary discussion in the wake of the ratification of the Istanbul Convention by Ukraine, were organised by the Council of Europe in Kyiv on June 2016.

In the framework of the project “Preventing and Combating Violence against Women and Domestic Violence in Ukraine”, a cocktail was organised for Members of the Ukrainian Parliament to encourage an exchange of views with Members of the Parliamentary Assembly of Europe (PACE). The event was opened by Marten Ehnberg, Head of the Council of Europe Office in Ukraine. Mme Esabelle Dingizian, Third Deputy Speaker of the Swedish Parliament, on mission in Ukraine, spoke about the importance of gender equality and of an adequate legal framework to combat violence against women. Mme Béatrice Fresko-Rolfo, Member of the Parliament of Monaco, and Member of the Parliamentary Network Women free from Violence encouraged Ukrainian MPs to ratify the Istanbul Convention as soon as possible. Mr Saša Magazinović, Member of the Parliament of Bosnia and Herzegovina, and Member of the Parliamentary Network Women Free from Violence also gave a short presentation on some of the challenges faced after the ratification of the Istanbul Convention by his country, while stressing its importance as an essential legal framework.

Mme Béatrice Fresko-Rolfo and Mr Saša Magazinović visited La Strada hotline the following day, on June 16, 2016 where they received an extremely informative briefing. The fact that the La Strada hotline will stop working 24/7 at the end of this month was noted by all as a worrisome development, given its importance and the essential work it carries out. As explained by La Strada only since February of 2016, when it started working 24/7 the hotline has received 11,000 phonecalls, more than the whole of 2015 together.

A media-briefing with the PACE members at the Parliament of Ukraine was also organised. Mariia Ionova, Member of the Verkhovna Rada, Deputy Head of Committee on European Integration introduced her PACE collegues, Mme Béatrice Fresko-Rolfo and Mr Saša Magazinović.  Iryna Friz, Member of the Verkhovna Rada, Head of the Parliamentary Subcommittee on Security of Government Information System, Committee of National Security and Defence; Iryna Lutsenko, Member of the Verkhovna Rada (Parliament of Ukraine), Head of the Parliamentary Subcommittee on International Law Issues and on Monitoring the Honouring of Ukraine’s International Obligation; and Iryna Heraschenko, Deputy Speaker of the Verkhovna Rada spoke of the importance of ratification of the Council of Europe Istanbul Convention by Ukraine, as it is the most far-reaching international treaty to tackle violence against women and domestic violence, even more pertinent in light of the conflict in the East of the country. Mr Heraschenko further announced that Ukraine will ratify by October 2016 the latest. More information about the media-briefing are available here.

In addition, Andreas von Beckerath, Ambassador of Sweden to Ukraine hosted a lunch for Parliamentary Faction Leaders and other key Members of Parliament to foster discussion regarding the current need to ratify the Istanbul Convention by Ukraine. All participants agreed that the Convention, which aims at zero tolerance for violence against women and domestic violence, and its ratification will be a major step forward in making Ukraine, Europe and beyond, safer for women and girls.