Istanbul Convention: Europeans Face a Crisis of Conscience

PRESS RELEASE

Contact: Mike Buchanan

Telephone: +44 7967 026163

Istanbul Convention: Europeans Face a Crisis of Conscience

March 20, 2023 – Since the 1950s, founders of the present-day European Union shared a dream of democratically governed countries coming together in a mutual quest for peace, mutual cooperation, and economic prosperity. One of the milestones was the 2000 declaration of the Charter of Fundamental Rights of the European Union, which promises all citizens, “Everyone is equal before the law” (Article 20) and emphasizes that “Any discrimination based on any ground such as sex…shall be prohibited.” (Article 21).

But the Convention on Preventing and Combating Violence against Women, also known as the Istanbul Convention, blithely ignores these provisions. The Convention uses the phrase, “violence against women,” 56 times, while “violence against men” is not mentioned once (1).

The Convention willfully ignores the science, which reveals that men and women in Europe are equally likely to be victims of physical domestic violence (2). In particular, the treaty dismisses the plight of women in same-sex relationships who are at particularly high risk of abuse (3).

The Convention also ignores the effects of such a policy on the willingness of men to enter into long-term relationships with women. In Spain, the devastating effects of one-sided domestic violence laws on marriage rates have been documented (4). Now, birth rates in Spain have plunged to the lowest levels on record (5).

Europe has faced widespread threats to human rights in the past, especially during the 1930s in Germany and during the years of oppressive Soviet control of Eastern Europe. In both cases, the effects were egregious and long-lasting (6).

In the final analysis, lawmakers who are considering support of the Istanbul Convention must ask themselves these questions of conscience:

If core provisions of the Charter of Fundamental Rights are violated now, which other groups in the future will be targeted for elimination of their human rights?
How will I justify to my community my betrayal of women in same-sex relationships, who are at heightened risk of domestic abuse?
How will I explain to my family, especially my sons and brothers, my support for a policy that blatantly disregards the rights of men?

The Domestic Abuse and Violence International Alliance – DAVIA — consists of 75 member organizations from 30 countries in Africa, Asia, Australia, Europe, Latin America, and North America. DAVIA seeks to ensure that domestic violence and abuse polices are science-based, family-affirming, and sex-inclusive. https://endtodv.org/davia/

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