A seminar that focused on the new Convention on Violence Against Women (The Istanbul Convention) was co-hosted by the Council of Europe, UN Women, and ICPDV Georgia last week in Batumi, Georgia. By signing the convention, the 47 Council of Europe member states agreed to make combating violence against women a top priority and to "effectively implement policies of equality between women and men and the empowerment of women."
The second annual seminar was designed to raise awareness on the convention's adoption and urge countries to ratify it. Council members and NGOs gathered to discuss the convention and best practices. The Advocates for Human Rights Women’s Program Director, Cheryl Thomas was there to report on current trends and development in the prevention of violence against women. Her presentation focused on policies and legislation for Central Asian countries, with a focus on Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, and Uzbekistan.