What are the 16 days of activism against gender-based violence?
It is an annual campaign to raise awareness on violence against women and domestic violence. It runs from 25 November - International Day for the Elimination of Violence against Women- until 10 December- International Human Rights Day. The United Nations started the “Orange the World” Campaign and made the orange colour a symbol of a world free of violence against women.
Violence against women and domestic violence are human rights violations which are unfortunately widespread across all countries and regions in the world. It is estimated that around one in three women worldwide has experienced some form of intimate partner violence in their lifetime. This year, the on-going COVID-19 pandemic and the subsequent policies of isolation and confinement implemented by states have shown an increase in domestic, sexual and gender-based violence, which has emphasised the need to protect women from violence.
What is the situation in Azerbaijan?
In Azerbaijan, data available suggests that the situation is not much different. In 2018, 650 case of domestic violence were registered, out of which 85% of the victims were women. Statistics, however, also show that around 61% of victims of domestic violence do not report the abuse to anyone. The perception of domestic violence as a private family matter contributes to its acceptance and adds additional barriers for women to report violence. It is therefore important to ensure victims have access to information of what the state can do to help them, as currently around 40% of women in Azerbaijan do not know about existing laws on domestic violence.
Azerbaijan has made some advancements towards combating and preventing violence against women and domestic violence in the past years. However, it has not yet signed the Council of Europe Convention on Preventing and Combating Violence against Women and Domestic Violence (Istanbul Convention) which is the most comprehensive international treaty dealing with these issues. In this context, the European Union and Council of Europe’s Partnership for Good Governance (PGGII) launched the project “Raising awareness of the Istanbul Convention and other gender equality standards in Azerbaijan” to support the Azerbaijani authorities to join the Istanbul Convention.
The project started on 1 July 2020 and it runs until December 2021. It aims at raising awareness on the Istanbul Convention and on other gender equality standards in Azerbaijan, and at providing support to national authorities regarding the signature and ratification of the Istanbul Convention. This is done through three main types of action: legislative and policy framework gap analysis; awareness-raising activities; and capacity-building of relevant stakeholders. The project partners are the State Committee for Family, Women and Children Affairs, the Ministry of Justice, the Academy of Justice, the Ombudsperson’s office and the Faculty of Law of the Baku State University.
What is the Istanbul Convention and why does Azerbaijan need it?
The Istanbul Convention is a ground-breaking international treaty and the first one exclusively on violence against women and domestic violence. It is unique because it covers many areas: prevention of violence, protection of victims, prosecution of perpetrators and general policies to end violence against women. It is referred to as a “gold standard” by the UN.
In short, the convention aims at putting an end to the many different forms of violence against women, to address the difficulties in getting protection and support, and the obstacles women face in seeking justice.
What can I do to join the campaign and to find out more about the Istanbul Convention?
You can join the campaign by taking photos of yourself, your family, your pet wearing orange and publishing on social media followed by the hashtags of the campaign, #IstanbulConvention #OrangeTheWorld, and tagging the PGGII (@CoeEapPCF) and the Council of Europe field office in Baku (@CoE_Baku).
