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I was astonished when, during a hearing on the ‘mediatisation of rape’ organised by the Network, a social

worker said: “if someone I know well such as a friend or a relative was raped, I would advise her not to report it

to the police because what happens next is a continuation of suffering and humiliation”.

I was shocked as a legislator but sympathetic as a human being. It takes an awful lot of courage and

resilience to face criminal proceedings of this kind, in which all too often the role of victims and perpetrators are

reversed and women have to prove – either in court or to society — that they did not provoke violence, that

they physically opposed it, that they did not give consent. No wonder the number of cases that fall out of the

system is so high.

Knowledge

The FRA study also highlights lack of knowledge:

- 19 percent of women in the EU are not aware of any organisation or victim support services,

- 41 percent are not aware of specific laws or political initiatives to protect women,

and

- only 50 percent have seen or heard of campaigns on violence against women.

Raising awareness: the Network

The role of Parliamentarians in countering violence against women has a wide scope, and certainly

demands more action in the area of awareness-raising.

To this end, the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe has set up a special structure: the

Parliamentary Network Women Free from Violence. This body was established to participate in the Council of

Europe campaign on Violence against Women, in 2006-2008. At the end of the Campaign, we realised that we

should go ahead. Our new objective became first shaping and then promoting the entry into force of the

Istanbul Convention.

In the three years during which the text of the Convention was negotiated, I participated in the drafting group

on behalf of the Parliamentary Assembly.

After the Convention was opened for signature, in 2011, all Network members we started to work as

Ambassadors of the Istanbul Convention in our national parliaments, by asking questions to relevant Ministers,

introducing bills and legislative initiatives, speeding up signature and ratification.

We shared information on legislation and policies in our respective countries.

The Network has published a huge amount of information material. Just consider that our Handbook for

Parliamentarians on the Istanbul Convention, which can actually also be very useful for NGOs and other

stakeholders, is now available in 16 languages! For that, we have to thank the voluntary contributions of a

number of parliaments and other donors.

We have a Facebook page which is a precious source of information. I invite you all to “like” it and become

followers.

In fact, I invite you to become ‘FRIENDS’ of the Network, to follow our activities and receive our newsletter.

I can tell you that all this work has been instrumental to catalyse political support for the Istanbul

Convention, and that without the lobbying, pressure and networking of our parliamentarians nowadays we

would not have achieved the entry into force of our precious gold standard.

Conclusion

Dear colleagues,

Ladies and Gentlemen

As of today, 15 Council of Europe member States have ratified the Istanbul Convention. Only 8 of them are

members of the European Union: Austria, Denmark, France, Italy, Malta, Portugal, Spain, Sweden.

What are the others waiting for?