The Istanbul Convention of the Council of Europe is the international convention to combat gender-based violence against women and girls. It defines violence against women and girls as a human rights violation and a sign of inequality between women and men. Since February 2018, the convention has been applicable law in Germany and provides strong impetus for combating violence against women and girls at all levels of government.
The Convention aims to protect women and girls from violence. States parties undertake to prevent, prosecute and eliminate violence against women, Discrimination of women and to strengthen women's rights.
To achieve these goals, a holistic approach with comprehensive political and legal measures must be developed. Coordination bodies will ensure that measures are coordinated and that non-governmental organizations and civil society are involved. The establishment of these bodies has yet to be completed.
The signatory states pledge to implement comprehensive measures to prevent and sanction violence and to protect against violence. An independent monitoring body in each state party will regularly assess the effectiveness of the individual measures. This body has yet to be established in Germany.
The Convention is monitored by an independent group of experts (GREVIO), which evaluates reports and information from all parties involved and provides recommendations to the State Party on how to implement the Convention. On 07 October 2022, GREVIO published the first evaluation report on the implementation of the Istanbul Convention in GermanyIn it, GREVIO found that Germany has serious deficits in the protection of women. According to the report, numerous requirements of the Istanbul Convention are not met.
Article 13 of the Istanbul Convention requires the States Parties to establish one or more official bodies responsible for coordinating, implementing, monitoring and evaluating measures against gender-based violence Furthermore, Article 14 of the Convention calls for comprehensive data collection and research on the topic.
In November 2022, the so-called Reporting Unit on Gender-Based Violence has begun its work. It is based at the German Institute for Human Rights and is responsible for monitoring gender-based violence in Germany.
Some federal states have also established bodies to coordinate measures to implement the Istanbul Convention. However, the necessary coordination body at the federal level is still missing.
Women's rights organizations and other federal associations focusing on "violence against women in Germany" have joined forces in the Istanbul Convention Alliance. They support and advance the implementation of the Istanbul Convention. Women's shelter coordination is actively involved in the alliance.
When the Convention entered into force in Germany on 1 February 2018, FHK called for the Federal Government's reservation against Article 59 to be withdrawn and for residence and asylum laws to be amended to ensure protection from violence for all migrants.
Text of the Istanbul Convention (German version)
GREVIO report on the status of implementation of the Istanbul Convention in Germany (October 2022)
Alternative report of the Istanbul Convention Alliance on the status of implementation of the Convention in Germany, 2021
Overview of content and recommendations for implementation, German Institute for Human Rights
The following federal associations are members of the Women’s Shelter Coordination Association
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