Today, on International Women’s Day, the Government took a significant step towards protecting the rights of women in Ireland by ratifying the Istanbul Convention.
The ratification of this Convention comes after years of campaigning by NGOs including the Irish Observatory on Violence against Women, which Pavee Point is a member.
The Council of Europe Convention makes it a responsibility of the government to address violence against women, protect women and prosecute perpetrators. Its ratification provides an important opportunity to bring about the change needed in Irish society to address violence against women in all its forms.
A Big Step Forward
“The Istanbul Convention is a big milestone in the campaign against violence against women,” said Tessa Collins, Senior Community Development Worker on the Violence against Women programme at Pavee Point.
“However, we still have to remember that Traveller and Roma women face additional barriers when leaving a violent relationship and accessing services.
We hope that the Convention brings positive changes for not only Traveller and Roma women, but for women from all walks of life.”
To lean more about the Istanbul Convention see https://www.coe.int/en/web/