Every year between the International Day for the Elimination of Violence against Women on 25 November and Human Rights Day on 10 December, buildings around the world light up in orange. The United Nations campaign “Orange the World” makes a statement against violence against women and aims to remove existing taboos around the issue. The Federal Foreign Office participates in this campaign: for the next 16 days, its Atrium in Berlin will shine in orange.

Minister of State for Europe Michael Roth, the Federal Government’s Special Envoy for Germany’s Presidency of the Committee of Ministers, has underlined the central role of the Council of Europe’s Istanbul Convention. States party to the Convention commit to actively combat violence against women and domestic violence. The Istanbul Convention takes into account the fact that women often fall victim to violence within families or households. In most cases, perpetrators are current or former partners, regardless of whether the offender and victim reside together.

The Istanbul Convention therefore requires participating states to take official action, even in cases where victims withdraw their statement or drop criminal charges. This is particularly important to stop vicious cycles of violence and abuse from which victims are often unable to free themselves due to family ties, common children, or financial dependence. “When the Istanbul Convention is applied rigorously, it can save lives”, Minister of State Roth said.