Last Friday (3/02) , on the occasion of the Conference in Malta on EU responses to gender based violence, the three European Institutions (European Commission, Parliament and  Council Presidency) signed a Joint Statement calling the Member States to:

  • “To ratify the Council of Europe’s Convention on preventing and combating violence against women and domestic violence (Istanbul Convention) for those Member States not having done so yet;
  • To fully and effectively implement the Istanbul Convention;
  • To conclude and finalise the decision on the EU accession to the Convention with a meaningful scope;
  • To engage in a constructive and open dialogue with the Presidency, the Commission and the Council of Europe to clarify that the definition of gender-based violence is the violence that happens to women because they are women and to reaffirm the ongoing commitment to solve the outstanding issues.

The three European institutions also committed themselves to zero tolerance to violence against women and girls.

This information is also uploaded in the Women Lobby forum, which can be found Here.

Click Here for the press Release from the European Parliament:

Click Here to find out more information about the EWL participation at the Maltese Presidency event Conference.