CIVIL ACTIVISTS DEMAND ISTANBUL CONVENTION ADOPTION

Civil activists conducted a rally in front of the Government on Wednesday, demanding that Moldova to ratify the Istanbul Convention [Council of Europe international agreement on preventing and combating violence against women and domestic violence].

The rally gathered around 50 people. The protesters wrote on the sidewalk the call to ratify the document, were beating drums and chanting “Do not deceive us! Ratify!”. Other slogans, written on banners, were: “We want our relatives to be safe!”, “Protect the victims!”, “Violence happens daily!”.

According to one of activists, Moldova signed the convention back in February 2017, while the public commitment for the document ratification was taken by the Moldovan Government; also this issue was included in the agenda of December 11 Cabinet sitting, but was removed from there without explanations.

Activists expressed concern and disagreement with the unjustified delay in document approval, as well as manipulations from the side of some citizens, who distribute information that the convention is contrary to ancestors’ spiritual values. Public activists pointed that almost three-fourths of Moldovan women have in some way faced domestic violence and demanded that the authorities to urgently sign the international agreement.

Infotag’s dossier: The Istanbul Convention is an international agreement of the Council of Europe on preventing and combating violence against women and domestic violence. It was opened for signing on May 11, 2011. So far, 46 countries and the European Union have signed the document. It is the first legal document that creates a comprehensive legal basis and approach to combating violence against women and is directed to preventing domestic violence, protecting the victims and prosecuting the guilty.