“One decade since the Council of Europe Convention on Preventing and Combating Violence against Women and Domestic Violence (Istanbul Convention) entered into force, much progress has been made, but too many European countries still do not define rape in line with treaty guidelines.
“The Istanbul Convention, ratified by 38 countries and the EU, is monitored by the Group of Experts on Action against Violence against Women and Domestic Violence (GREVIO). GREVIO monitoring shows that countries have achieved progress so far, including specialised 24/7 telephone hotlines, increasing access to shelters, and developing comprehensive national action plans.
“But more should be done. For example, countries should better counter online sexual harassment, stalking, or psychological violence, which have become growing problems across Europe.
“In particular, the Istanbul Convention defines rape based on the absence of freely given consent, as opposed to traditional force-based definitions of rape. This is important to fully capture the realities of women and girls experiencing sexual violence and their coping mechanisms. Most recently, Finland, Denmark, Belgium and Spain have changed the legal definition of rape to fit treaty guidelines.
“All European countries should ratify the Istanbul Convention and adopt a legal definition of rape based on the absence of freely given consent.
“Protecting women and girls from violence is a year-round obligation. The 16 Days of Activism against Gender-Based Violence from 25 November to 10 December encourage governments to step up their efforts.”
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