All Council of Europe bodies have mobilised for this International Day for the Elimination of Violence against Women. This fight is one of the major issues for the Strasbourg-based organisation, which is fully involved in the promotion and implementation of its “Istanbul Convention”, the only international legal instrument currently available.
The importance of this text was reiterated by the Secretary-General in an op-ed published in the European press (https://bit.ly/364MzYU ). Marija Pejčinović Burić calls on those states that have not yet ratified it (including Bulgaria, the Czech Republic, Hungary, Lithuania, Latvia, the Slovak Republic and the European Union itself) to take advantage of the increased urgency of lockdown to do so without delay.
The Secretary-General also notes the rise in “online violence”, a phenomenon to which the Commissioner for Human Rights devoted her Declaration (https://bit.ly/3q11pYo ). “Cyberviolence against women is an increasing problem in Europe. It can take many forms, including (sexual) harassment, revenge porn and threats of rape, sexual assault or murder”, says Dunja Mijatović, adding that “some women are particularly exposed, such as women’s rights defenders, journalists, bloggers, video gamers, public figures and politicians”.
At parliamentary level, the Chair of the Committee on Equality and Non-Discrimination of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe and the Chair of the Committee on Women's Rights of the European Parliament have issued a Joint Statement (https://bit.ly/2V19zlb ) in which they agree to “to work together towards a stronger framework of protection to make a safer world for women and girls” (see other news). (Original version in French by Véronique Leblanc)