In Ukraine, Women Should Be Protected from Violence in War ...

Amid concerns about violence against women and girls during the war, the treaty commits the government to providing essential services and ... Skiptomaincontent ViolenceagainstWomenTreatyCanSupportRape,DomesticAbuseSurvivors HillaryMargolis SeniorResearcher,Women'sRightsDivisionhillarymargo Aftermorethanadecadeofadvocacybywomen’srightsgroups,andamidanarmedconflictfollowingRussia’sfull-scaleinvasion,aswellasabidforEuropeanUnionmembership,onMondayUkraine’sparliamenttookanimportantstepincombatingviolenceagainstwomenandgirls.Byanoverwhelmingmajority,Ukraine’sparliamentapprovedratificationoftheCouncilofEuropeConventiononPreventingandCombatingDomesticViolenceandViolenceagainstWomen,knownastheIstanbulConvention. Theconventionestablisheslegallybindingstandardsforgovernmentstopreventviolenceagainstallwomenandgirls,tosupportsurvivors,andtoholdabuserstoaccount. Likeallhumanrightstreaties,italsoappliesduringarmedconflict.ItsimplementationinUkrainecouldnotbemoreurgent. Amidconcernsaboutviolenceagainstwomenandgirlsduringthewar,thetreatycommitsthegovernmenttoprovidingessentialservicesandpathwaystojusticeforvictimsofsexualandothergender-basedviolence,includingrape.Crucially,itincludesclearbenchmarksforavictim-centeredresponsethatminimizesadditionaltraumaandharmtosurvivorsofviolence. Importantly,itdoesthesamefordomesticviolence,whichoftenincreasesduringorinthewakeofarmedconflictasphysical,emotional,andeconomicchallengesintensifyandsocialsupportsystemsdisappear.LongbeforeFebruary’sescalationofthewarinUkraine,activistsandthepublichadbeencallingonthegovernmenttoratifytheconventionandtakestrongermeasurestocombatdomesticviolenceandthetraditionalattitudesandstereotypesthatfeedit.Theyalsocalledforharsherpunishmentsforabusers. Theinternationalcommunityshouldnotforgetthat,perhapsmorethanever,Ukraine’sgovernmentandcivilsocietyneedsupporttoensurethatthemostfundamentalandimportantelementsofgender-basedviolenceresponseareinplace.Thisincludescomprehensivepost-rapecare,includingemergencycontraception,post-exposureprophylaxistopreventHIV,accesstoabortion,andmentalhealthcare.Italsoincludesinvestigationsbyexpertstrainedinsurvivor-centered,trauma-informedapproachestoevidencecollectionandinterviewing. Ukraine’sgovernmentshouldcompleteprocedurestoratifythispowerfultreatyandcontinueitsworktobringnationallegislationinlinewiththeconvention.Thegovernmentshouldimplementmeasuresthatadheretothehigheststandardsinpreventionofandresponsetodomesticandotherviolenceagainstwomenandgirls. Warornot,thesemeasuresarecrucialtoimprovingthelivesofwomenandgirlsaffectedbyviolencetodayandwellintothefuture. Disclaimer HumanRightsWatch ©Copyright,HumanRightsWatch-350FifthAvenue,34thFloorNewYork,NY10118-3299USA RelatedContent