The Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine has ratified “The Council of Europe Convention on preventing and combating violence against women and domestic violence,” better known as the Istanbul Convention.
Source: The Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine
259 deputies voted for it, four voted against and 25 abstained.
Ratification of the Istanbul Convention is considered a good signal ahead of the EU summit on Ukraine’s readiness to implement the necessary reforms, as it is a kind of “marker of civilization” for EU member states.
This decision, which was postponed for many years – in particular, due to the position of the All-Ukrainian Council of Churches – was especially important for the Netherlands and Sweden, two sceptical countries that eventually agreed to support candidate status for Ukraine.
The Istanbul Convention, an international agreement first signed in 2011, is the first document obliging the states which are party to it to create a legal framework to combat violence against women. The countries that have signed the Convention have to criminalize psychological abuse, stalking, physical and sexual abuse, forced marriage, forced abortion and sterilization.
The Convention was signed by 46 countries and the European Union. However, 10 countries (and Ukraine before today’s vote) have not ratified the agreement. Ukraine joined the Istanbul Convention in 2011, but its ratification was delayed by protests from churches and conservative politicians because of the term ‘gender’ used in it.
See also: Ukrainian President supported Ukraine’s accession to the Three Seas initiative
