UN International Day for the Elimination of Violence against Women

The UN's International Day for the Elimination of Violence against Women was marked on November 25 of November.

The day was also noted by the Council of Europe (COE), who released a statement earlier in the week to clear up what they called "serious misconceptions about the Istanbul Convention on preventing and combatting violence against women and domestic violence."

"Ending violence against women is not about ending traditions or ending sexual differences," says the COE. "Despite its clearly stated aims, several religious and ultra conservative groups have been spreading false narratives about the Istanbul Convention, especially around the concept of 'gender' included in its text."

The COE addressed those "misrepresentations" in a new question-and-answer format text, which also highlights the convention's goal to end violence against women and to protect women’s human rights.

Georgia and Estonia are the only two countries of the former USSR that have ratified the Istanbul Convention. It entered into force in Georgia in September 2017. Out of all 47 member States of the Council of Europe, only Azerbaijan and Russia has neither signed nor ratified the Istanbul Convention.

By Samantha Guthrie

Photo: Council of Europe