On January 22, 2013, Croatia became the 26th member state of the Council of Europe to sign the Council of Europe Convention on Preventing and Combating Violence against Women and Domestic Violence (known as the Istanbul Convention). Signing the convention gives advocates another tool to hold the government of Croatia accountable for eliminating violence against women.
The Istanbul Convention is a legally binding comprehensive instrument that aims to prevent violence, protect victims, and prosecute perpetrators. The Convention will enter into force following 10 ratifications. Turkey was the first country to ratify the Convention on March 14, 2012.
Compiled from: Croatia and Portugal Sign Council of Europe Convention on Violence against Women, European Women’s Lobby (22 January 2013).