Co-operation Newsroom
HELP course on violence against women and domestic violence for Azerbaijani law enforcement officials
Acknowledging the crucial role law enforcement plays in countering violence against women and domestic violence, the new online Human Rights Education for Legal Professionals (HELP) course in Azerbaijani aims to equip professionals with the necessary knowledge and skills to effectively respond to...
Ukraine strengthens efforts to end violence against women: Council of Europe project marks midterm progress
On 9 April 2024 the Council of Europe project “Combatting violence against women in Ukraine - Phase II” (COVAW II) held a meeting of partners and stakeholders to highlight project achievements in 2023 and present planned steps for 2024. Key institutions, representatives of professional...
Authorities in Bosnia and Herzegovina discuss good practices in investigating and prosecuting digital violence against women
On 23 April 2024 the event on "Emerging and good practices in investigating and prosecuting digital violence against women“ in Sarajevo convened stakeholders from various sectors, including the judiciary, to explore international best practices in addressing digital violence against women. The...
Council of Europe HELP Course on access to justice for women launched to empower dudges and prosecutors from the Western Balkans
In a significant step towards enhancing gender-sensitive legal practices and strengthening the capacity of judges and prosecutors in addressing gender bias in the judiciary in the Western Balkans, the regional HELP course on access to justice for women (HELP WAJ) was launched with the support...
Results of the call for projects for civil society organisations in Serbia: Communication and advocacy initiatives on the Istanbul Convention
The Council of Europe “Ending violence against women: multi-country programme” has finalised the assessment of the call for proposals for civil society organisations (CSOs) in Serbia. The aim of the call aim is to support awareness-raising and advocacy initiatives that promote the values, aims,...
Launch of the Council of Europe guidelines for social workers
On 9 April 2024, over 50 experts, representatives from specialised ministries and agencies, and civil society members, were introduced to new Guidelines for social workers, a collaborative effort between the Council of Europe and the Ministry of labour and social protection. Rodica...
Moldovan authorities present roadmap to implement GREVIO recommendations
On 9 April 2024, a significant step towards addressing violence against women and domestic violence was taken as the Specialised Commission on the implementation of the Istanbul Convention convened under the National Council for human rights. Bringing together 57 experts, representatives from...
Council of Europe Deputy Secretary General advocates for gender equality in the Republic of Moldova
On 8 April April 2024, Bjørn Berge, Deputy Secretary General of the Council of Europe, emphasized the importance of advancing gender equality during his visit to Moldova State University. His lecture "Advancing gender equality and tackling violence against women in the Republic of Moldova"...
Council of Europe Gender Equality Strategy for 2024-2029 available in Ukrainian
The Council of Europe's Committee of Ministers adopted a new Council of Europe Gender Equality Strategy for 2024-2029 on 6 March 2024, which has now been translated into Ukrainian. This six-year strategy will guide the work of the Council of Europe and its member states, including Ukraine, toward...
Strategies to criminalise and prosecute sexual violence under the Istanbul Convention
Sexual violence, including rape, represents one of the most under-reported forms of violence against women. It is characterised by high attrition rates at the investigation and prosecution stages and few convictions, which lead to a culture of impunity. To show the evolution of legislation,...
Conference in Pristina: Implementing the Istanbul Convention through case-Law: judicial dialogue for an effective judicial response
On 15 March 2024 the Council of Europe project “Aligning laws and policies with the Istanbul Convention” and the AIRE Centre brought together over 120 representatives of key judicial institutions, including courts, prosecutor’s offices, and law enforcement agencies, as well as representatives of...
Manual for police officers on effective response to violence against women in Ukraine
A new edition of the Council of Europe publication “Combating violence against women and domestic violence: A practical guide for police officers” has been released in response to the continuing challenge of the war in Ukraine, as well as recent important developments in Ukrainian legislation as...
Guidelines for parties to the Istanbul Convention to report on the implementation of the Convention
The publication, Guidelines on Reporting for Baseline GREVIO Evaluations, has been developed to assist parties to the Istanbul Convention to organise all essential information related to the convention’s baseline and thematic reporting processes. The Guidelines provide support during monitoring...
Armenian police chiefs committed to combating violence against women
The second group of Armenian police leadership, 14 police chiefs (14 men) from regional divisions and five officers (2 women and 3 men) from the department on protection of Juveniles' rights and combating domestic violence of the General Department of Armenian Police gathered in Tsaghkadzor on...
Training Ukrainian lawyers, judges and prosecutors to better handle cases of violence against women
On 5 March 2024, the Council of Europe launched the online course, “Violence against women and domestic violence” for 69 Ukrainian lawyers, judges, and prosecutors. This initiative, held just prior to International Women's Day, reaffirms the undeniable right of all women and girls to live in a...
Increasing awareness on gender equality on International Women’s Day
The joint European Union and Council of Europe action “Fostering women's access to justice in Türkiye” contributed to the “Conference on Women’s Human Rights” organised at the Ankara University Faculty of Law in co-operation with several universities. Women in family law, women’s physical...
Launch of Council of Europe project to promote gender equality in Ukraine
The Council of Europe project “Promoting gender equality in Ukraine” (Pro-GE) was launched through its first Steering Committee meeting on 22 February 2024. Representatives from the Ukrainian government, international organisations, civil society organisations and the Council of Europe joined...
Call for tender – Purchase of national consultancy services in the area of gender equality and gender mainstreaming
The Council of Europe project “Promoting Gender Equality in Ukraine (Pro-GE)” (hereinafter “the Project”), implemented within the Action Plan for Ukraine for 2023-2026, is seeking providers for the procurement of national consultancy (intellectual) services in the area of gender equality and...
Moldovan Parliament initiates legislative discussions to combat digital violence against women
On 13 February 2024, Doina Gherman, the Deputy Chairperson of the Parliament of the Republic of Moldova, initiated a public discussion aimed at addressing the digital violence against women. Supported by the Council of Europe and the UNFPA Moldova, the event marked a significant step forward in...
Moldovan law enforcement more capable to combat digital violence against women
On 14-16 February 2024, the Council of Europe organised a three-day workshop in Chisinau aimed at building the capacity of law enforcement officials and judges in the Republic of Moldova to address digital violence against women. With perfect balance of 22 women and 21 men, the event was attended...
New national studies on women's access to justice in the Eastern Partnership countries available
Policy-makers, judges, prosecutors, legal professionals, as well as representatives of academia and civil society can now benefit from updated national studies “Barriers, remedies and good practices on women’s access to justice” for Azerbaijan, Georgia, the Republic of Moldova, and Ukraine. The...
Call for tender – Purchase of services on videography, photography, filming and graphic design for the project activities
The Council of Europe project “Promoting Gender Equality in Ukraine” (Pro-GE) (hereinafter “the Project”), implemented within the Action Plan for Ukraine for 2023-2026, is looking for providers for the procurement of services on videography, photography, filming and graphic design for the project...
Breaking barriers for Roma women’s access to justice – a new SYNERGY network handbook
Violence against women is a pressing global issue. The rights of all women to be free from violence transcends geographical, cultural, and social boundaries. Women in all their diversity are entitled to the full enjoyment of their human rights. The Council of Europe Convention on preventing and...
Increasing knowledge of university students on gender-sensitive legal services
The joint European Union and Council of Europe action "Fostering women's access to justice in Türkiye" carried out collaborative meetings in Ankara between 22 – 25 January with the Faculties of Law, Economics, Administrative Sciences and Social Sciences at Ankara University, Atılım University,...
Implementing the Istanbul Convention 1 year after its ratification by Ukraine
The Council of Europe Convention on Preventing and Combating Violence against Women and Domestic Violence, better known as the Istanbul Convention, came into force for Ukraine on 1 November 2022. To mark the 1st anniversary of this significant milestone, the Council of Europe published a series...
Programme for treatment of perpetrators of violence against women in Kosovo*
The Council of Europe project “Aligning laws and policies with the Istanbul Convention in Kosovo*” supported the Ministry of Justice with the development of the programme for treatment of perpetrators of violence against women. The Programme provides a victim-centered, gender responsive approach...
Co-operation projects highlights in 2023: Making gender equality a reality for all
The Council of Europe has compiled key achievements of its co-operation projects with beneficiary countries. From trainings of professionals, to new policy frameworks that enshrine international standards and best practices, 2023 has been a year of progress and renewed commitment towards...
The significance of terminology: GBV or VAW?
The Istanbul Convention is the most far reaching human rights instrument addressing violence against women and domestic violence. The treaty defines many forms of gender-based violence against women and it aims to prevent and combat these forms of violence across Europe and beyond. As Ukraine...
SYNERGY Network Conference in Slovakia: Advancing the Fight Against Violence against Women
In December 2023, Slovakia hosted the SYNERGY Conference, "Support for services to victims of domestic and gender-based violence - finding the way to the results and addressing sexual violence", focused on supporting victims of domestic and gender-based violence, with a particular emphasis on...
Gender analysis in earthquake areas now available online
Following the earthquakes in February 2023, the joint European Union and Council of Europe action “Fostering women’s access to justice in Türkiye” carried out a gender analysis to identify emerging needs in access to justice to women and girl victims of the earthquake from a gendered perspective...
