Today on the second day of the 16 days of activism to eliminate violence against women, we are focusing on the Istanbul Convention.
What is the Istanbul Convention?
The Istanbul Convention, also named the Council of Europe Convention on preventing and combating violence against women and domestic abuse, is a Council of Europe convention against violence against women and domestic abuse. The UK has signed the Convention, but has not yet ratified it, meaning that the Convention is not yet in force in the UK.
During the 16 days of activism, our sisters in Women’s Aid Federation England and the TUC are launching a joint campaign asking the government to ratify the Istanbul Convention, as this will strengthen the protection of women escaping domestic abuse and send a clear signal that the UK will not tolerate violence against women. Women’s Aid Federation Northern Ireland fully supports this campaign, and asks you to support the campaign by signing the petition to Prime Minister David Cameron and signing up to our Thunderclap.