{"id":63647,"date":"2026-05-13T17:05:12","date_gmt":"2026-05-13T16:05:12","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/equalitynow.org\/?post_type=event&p=63647"},"modified":"2026-05-19T17:16:21","modified_gmt":"2026-05-19T16:16:21","slug":"the-istanbul-convention-at-15-defending-europes-treaty-on-violence-against-women","status":"publish","type":"event","link":"https:\/\/equalitynow.org\/ar\/event\/the-istanbul-convention-at-15-defending-europes-treaty-on-violence-against-women\/","title":{"rendered":"Holding the Line: The Istanbul Convention at 15"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
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13th \u0645\u0627\u064a\u0648 2026<\/p>\n <\/div>\n

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Holding the Line: The Istanbul Convention at 15<\/h1>\n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n\n \n \n \n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n\n
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Fifteen years after the Istanbul Convention was first opened for signature in May 2011, the treaty stands as one of the most comprehensive international framework for preventing and combating violence against women and girls. Despite its positive impact, the Convention is increasingly facing political and ideological pushback from anti-gender movements, conservative political actors, and disinformation campaigns that deliberately misrepresent its purpose and provisions.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Increasing politicisation of the Convention reflects a broader global trend in which women\u2019s rights are being contested to reverse gains in gender equality and undermine international human rights frameworks.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Latvia\u2019s withdrawal from the Istanbul Convention, amid a sea of misinformation<\/b><\/h3>\n

Misleading narratives have contributed to stalled ratifications and mounting calls to reject the Convention, particularly in parts of Central and Eastern Europe, and nowhere more so than in Latvia.<\/span><\/p>\n

In October 2025, <\/span>Latvia\u2019s Parliament voted to withdraw<\/span><\/a>, just a year after lawmakers formally ratified the treaty in January 2024. The vote triggered widespread <\/span>condemnation<\/span><\/a>, with many warning withdrawal would weaken protections for women and girls and set a dangerous precedent as the first EU member state to exit a major international human rights treaty, with implications far beyond Latvia\u2019s borders.<\/span><\/p>\n

Latvia\u2019s President Rink\u0113vi\u010ds refused to sign the withdrawal bill and returned it to Parliament for further review. MPs have one year for amendments, with further consideration postponed until after national elections in October 2026. Read \u2018<\/span>What\u2019s happening in Latvia with the Istanbul Convention?<\/span><\/a>\u2019 for more details.<\/span><\/p>\n

Webinar: Holding the Line: The Istanbul Convention at 15<\/b><\/h3>\n

Join Equality Now\u2019s Tamar Dekanosidze and Shivangi Misra, alongside Dubravka \u0160imonovi\u0107 and Beata Jonite, to hear their insights on:<\/span><\/p>\n