Turkey’s withdrawal from the Istanbul Convention: ETUCE calls its members to support their Turkish colleagues
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Following the Turkish government’s withdrawal from the Istanbul Convention on Prevention of Violence against Women and Domestic Violence, on 20 March 2021 and considering that the official process of withdrawal is expected to be completed by next July, ETUCE calls on all its member organisations to join their efforts in defending women’s and girls’ rights and in preserving their fundamental rights in Turkey.
ETUCE calls on its member organisations to demonstrate their support and solidarity with their sister organisation Egitim-Sen, to stand together against exceedingly damaging consequences that this withdrawal will imply for the protection of human rights of women and girls as well as the LGBTI community in Turkey.
In its statement, ETUCE reminds that the Istanbul Convention stands as the first international agreement recognising violence against women and girls as a human rights violation. The Convention criminalises gender-based violence against women and domestic violence and ensures measures to prevent violence, protect and support victims and witnesses, and prosecute the perpetrators. ETUCE is seriously concerned about exceedingly damaging consequences that this withdrawal will imply for the protection of human rights of women and girls in Turkey.
The impact of this pull-out will be devasting also in the education sector where cases of violence and harassment on women teachers and girls already occur. The lack of protection from the Istanbul Convention risks leading not only to a rise of violence in schools but also to a higher drop-out rate, pushing girls out of the education system and undermining women and girls' status in all segments of the society.