Poland will withdraw from the Istanbul Convention, according to an announcement by the countries Justice Minister Zbigniew Ziobro.
He said that the Convention, which is aimed at preventing violence against women, is “harmful” because it also requires schools to teach children about gender. Ziobro said Poland has sufficient legislation in place that provides protection for women and that the formal withdrawal process would start this week.
Ziobro also said that the convention violates parental rights and “contains elements of an ideological nature”. The ruling party, of which Ziobro is a member are closely aligned to the Catholic Church and have a strong stance against the LGBTI community and reproductive health, including abortion.
According to the EU Agency for Fundamental Rights, some 4 million Polish women and girls have already experienced sexual or physical violence since the age of 15. That equates to around one-fifth of the female population. In addition to this, 250,000 are affected by domestic violence each year and between 400 and 500 women die annually as a result.
Following the news, thousands of citizens took to the streets of the capital Warsaw to campaign against the withdrawal from the convention.
The news sparked concern from the Council of Europe, activists and MEPs. Dutch MEP Samira tweeted the open letter sent to President Ursula von der Leyen and President Charles Mishel by the Renew Europe party.
.@RenewEurope stands with the women of #Poland🇵🇱 Women’s rights are non-negotiable. The EU cannot sit still when governments are backtracking from the protection of women against violence. We call on @vonderleyen @eucopresident @helenadalli to take action.#IstanbulConvention pic.twitter.com/hRFjjSCEax
— Samira Rafaela (@samiraraf) July 27, 2020
She said that Renew Europe stands with the women of Poland and that women’s rights are non-negotiable. She called on von der Leyen and Mishel to take action.
Earlier this month, Turkey hinted its intention to withdraw from the Convention. Deputy Chairman of the ruling party, Numan Kurtuldir said that signing the Convention was wrong due to its definitions of gender and provisions relating to sexual orientation.
The Istanbul Convention, otherwise known as the Council of Europe Convention on preventing and combatting violence against women and domestic violence was signed in Istanbul on 11 May 2011. The convention aims to prevent violence, offer victim protection and end impunity for perpetrators. Turkey was the first country to ratify the convention and there are now 45 signatories.
The Convention is the first legally-binding instrument that creates a comprehensive legal framework to combat violence against women. It characterises violence against women as a violation of human rights and a form of discrimination. It also provides a definition of gender, referring to it as “the socially constructed roles, behaviours, activities, and attributes that a given society considers appropriate for women and men.”
It also includes the criminalisation of several offences including psychological violence, rape, non-consensual sexual activity, forced marriage, female genital mutilation, forced abortion, and forced sterilisation. It also stipulates that sexual harassment should be subject to a criminal or legal sanction.
