UN Urges Kiev To Ratify Istanbul Convention On Prevention Of Violence Against Women

(@FahadShabbir)

UN Urges Kiev to Ratify Istanbul Convention on Prevention of Violence Against Women

The UN office in Ukraine in a statement on Wednesday called on the Ukrainian government to ratify the Istanbul Convention on preventing violence against women amid increased domestic violence levels during the COVID-19 pandemic

KIEV (UrduPoint News / Sputnik - 27th May, 2020) The UN office in Ukraine in a statement on Wednesday called on the Ukrainian government to ratify the Istanbul Convention on preventing violence against women amid increased domestic violence levels during the COVID-19 pandemic.

According to the United Nations, in Ukraine, women constitute 86 percent of the survivors of rape and 78 percent of the survivors of domestic violence. Ukraine signed the Istanbul Convention in 2011 but has not ratified it yet.

"The United Nations in Ukraine urges Ukraine to expedite the ratification of the Council of Europe Convention on Preventing and Combating Violence Against Women and Domestic Violence (Istanbul Convention), heeding the voices of 25,000 citizens who have signed a Petition to the President of Ukraine � calling for action," the statement said.

According to the UN, the ratification of the convention is especially crucial against the backdrop of the COVID-19 pandemic, as confinement triggers domestic violence and violence against women.

"The COVID-19 pandemic is changing the way we live � whilst it is bringing many families closer together, it is driving others further apart. With the compound pressures of increased unemployment and money worries, confinement, and a lack of social interaction, levels of domestic violence are increasing at alarming rates," the statement stressed.

The Istanbul Convention was adopted by all members of the Council of Europe on May 11, 2011. It became the first European agreement aimed at combating violence against women and domestic violence. It sets out standards for violence prevention, protection and prosecution. Countries that have ratified this agreement are obligated to protect and support victims of such violence, as well as to establish hotlines and provide medical, psychological and legal assistance to victims. The document envisages criminalization of all acts of physical, sexual or psychological violence within a family and between former or current spouses and partners.