UN Women and the European Union (EU) have announced a three-year initiative to “end discrimination and violence against women” in six Western Balkan countries and Turkey. The program, called “Implementing Norms, Changing Minds,” is part of the EU’s Year to End Violence Against Women, and will be implemented in Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Kosovo, the former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia, Montenegro, Serbia and Turkey.
According to representatives of UN Women, the “anchor” for the initiative is the Council of Europe Convention on preventing and combating violence against women and domestic violence ("Istanbul Convention"). The initiative “will, in particular, support governments and women’s organizations in Western Balkans and Turkey in enhancing their efforts to prevent and respond to violence against women, and advancing the implementation of the Istanbul Convention.” The new program is also grounded in the UN Convention on the Elimination of Discrimination against Women and is aligned with UN Sustainable Development Goal 5 on gender equality as well as the conditions for state accession to the EU.
UN and EU representatives recently came together to celebrate the launch of the new campaign, together with representatives from the Council of Europe, the European Institute for Gender Equality, the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe, and government and civil society from the seven countries involved.
Compiled from: Press Release: UN Women and the European Union launch a new initiative to focus on ending violence against women in the Western Balkans and Turkey, UN Women: Europe and Central Asia (July 10, 2017).