Today, the first ever Network of specialised Lawyers and NGOs assisting victims of violence against women was launched. The Council of Europe Violence against Women Division brought together an initial set of members of this new network for a day of knowledge sharing and networking.
With lawyers and NGOs assisting victims from 38 member states of the Council of Europe attending, in person and online, the meeting marked the beginning of enhanced collaboration and sharing of legal strategies on cases of violence against women among lawyers in Europe. The sessions covered key themes, including the growing jurisprudence of the European Court of Human Rights on cases of domestic violence and rape, the strategic role of the Istanbul Convention in litigation, and case studies illustrating effective legal approaches. This very first kick-off meeting will be followed by regularly online and in-person meetings with the aim of providing legal professionals the opportunity to continuously share expertise and knowledge, strengthen their networks, and to collectively enhance efforts to uphold the rights and dignity of women and girls victims of violence across Europe.
The aim of the Network is to facilitate regular exchanges across lawyers from all Council of Europe member states and to serve as a knowledge-sharing platform for strategic litigation on violence against women. Through more and innovative caselaw, both at national and European level, it will enhance implementation of the Council of Europe Convention on preventing and combating violence against women and domestic violence (Istanbul Convention) and the European Convention of Human Rights.
The Network is open to practicing lawyers specialised in assisting women victims of violence and those legally representing women and girls through specialist support organisations. Expressions of interest to join the Network can be submitted online on the dedicated webpage as of next week.
As digital technologies have a reproducing and amplifying effect on existing gender inequalities, COVID-related restrictions and lockdowns have seen an increase in cybercriminal activities, as people stay online longer. As a result, women and girls are facing multiple risks of online and technology-facilitated sexual harassment, stalking and gender-based cybercrime.
Online and technology-facilitated violence against women are exacerbating the different forms of violence against women that take place offline. Most forms of cyberviolence, including against women and girls, are criminalised but they are expanded, amplified or generalised via the Internet. Even though the impact on victims and on society at large is severe, impunity is more the rule than the exception.
Council of Europe Newsroom (Istanbul Convention): Kicking off: a Council of Europe Network of specialised lawyers and NGOs assisting women victims of violence
Council of Europe Newsroom (Cybercrime Division): How the Council of Europe tackles online violence against women through the Budapest Convention on Cybercrime and the Istanbul Convention (December 2021)
Cybercrime Convention Committee (T-CY): Mapping study on cyberviolence (July 2018)