The legislative upper-body Senate of the Czech Republic on Jan. 24 failed -- by a two-vote margin -- to ratify the Istanbul Convention that is meant to prevent and combat violence against women. The Istanbul Convention, which was forged by the Council of Europe in 2011, had been signed by the Czech Republic, but this Senate vote leaves the Czech Republic among the minority of European Union nations that has failed to ratify the treaty. Czech opponents of the treaty said that it was against "traditional roles" for men and women in society, and has failed to reduce violence in countries that have ratified it.
Compiled from: "Czech Senate fails to ratify Europen treaty on violence against women," Reuters, Jan. 25, 2024.