On the occasion of the International Day for the Elimination of Violence against Women, the Council of Europe is pleased to announce, in the framework of the South Programme IV, the publication of a compendium gathering legal summaries, in French and Arabic, of judgments and decisions of the European Court of Human Rights in the field of combating violence against women and domestic violence.

The judgments and decisions are based on the European Convention on Human Rights and namely on its Article 2 (right to life), Article 3 (prohibition of torture and inhuman or degrading treatment), Article 8 (right to respect for private and family life) and Article 14 (prohibition of discrimination), as well as on the Council of Europe Convention on preventing and combating violence against women and domestic violence (Istanbul Convention).

The preamble to the Istanbul Convention recalls that women and girls are often exposed to serious forms of violence such as domestic violence, sexual harassment, rape, forced marriage, crimes committed in the name of so-called "honour” and genital mutilation, which constitutes a serious violation of the human rights of women and girls and a major obstacle to the achievement of equality between women and men.

The compendium is mainly intended for legal professionals of the Southern Mediterranean region, - prosecutors, judges, attorneys-at-law, - in charge of cases of violence against women and domestic violence. It will also serve as a basis to other relevant actors, in particular academics and non-governmental organisations, active in these fields. It will be disseminated during training activities supported by the Programme aimed at strengthening regional cooperation between the above-mentioned actors.

 To read the compendium (French and Arabic only)

The South Programme IV is a joint programme of the Council of Europe and the European Union, financed by the European Union and the Council of Europe and implemented by the Council of Europe.