No More Excuses! Ratify the Istanbul Convention Now!

35% of women worldwide have experienced physical or sexual violence.

Only in 2020, there were at least 3,762 victims of femicide in Europe.

Violence is present in the daily life of women and girls all over the world. Here in Europe, Armenia, Bulgaria, the Czech Republic, Hungary, Latvia, Lithuania, Slovakia as well as the European Union have not yet ratified the Istanbul Convention. Moreover, Turkey withdrew from the treaty in 2021.

The ratification of the Istanbul Convention by these remaining states would be a major step in combating all forms of violence against women. It means opening shelters and helplines for victims. It means financial and legal aid. And it means education about gender equality for children and youth.

These solutions are fundamental for improving the situation of victims of gender-based violence. There is no more time to lose.

It is absolute nonsense that these 8 countries and the EU have not ratified a convention that simply aims to provide victims of gender-based violence with help and prevents aggression on women.

Therefore, we demand that Armenia, Bulgaria, the Czech Republic, Hungary, Latvia, Lithuania, Slovakia, Turkey as well as the EU sign and ratify the Istanbul Convention.