Advancing human rights for women and girls: The promise of the Council of Europe Convention on Preventing and Combating Violence against Women and Domestic Violence

With Johanna Nelles, O’Brien Fellow in Residence and Executive Secretary to the Council of Europe Convention on Preventing and Combating Violence against Women and Domestic Violence (on temporary leave) 

About

In 2014, the Council of Europe Convention on Preventing and Combating Violence against Women and Domestic Violence came into force. Known as the Istanbul Convention after the place it opened for signature, this treaty fills a gap in the protection of women and girls from gender-based violence in Europe. It contains many innovative obligations in the area of prevention, protection and prosecution of all acts of violence against women and asks governments to embed these in a comprehensive policy framework. In this talk, Johanna Nelles will explain why this treaty is a gamechanger in addressing violence against women, how it is framed as a tool to advance women’s rights and equality that is open to governments around the world to ratify, and how law and practice is beginning to innovate as a result - shedding light also on the shared challenges in implementation and the resistance the Istanbul Convention is facing.