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“Organizations are calling for ratification of the Council of Europe Convention for the Prevention and Elimination of Violence against Women and Domestic Violence as it seeks to combat widespread domestic violence,” said a follow-up to Observe Rights from last year.
It was also signed by the Lithuanian Center for Human Rights, the Vilnius Women’s Household Association, the Active Youth Association, the LGBT + University Group, the Human Rights Watch Institute, the Tolerant Youth Association, the National Association of Patients “For the right to the best treatment for all”. , The Lithuanian Student Union, the leaders of the Family Planning and Sexual Health Association, the Union of Maternity Sponsorship Initiatives, the Lithuanian Gay League and other organizations.
The organizations point out that the public in the public sphere often misinterprets the Istanbul Convention.
“The Convention applies to all forms of violence against women, including domestic violence, which disproportionately affects women. The achievement of the objectives of the Convention is of particular importance for the Republic of Lithuania, as, According to the Lithuanian Official Statistics Portal for 2019, 8 out of 10 victims of domestic violence in Lithuania are women, most of whom have been victims of an intimate partner. “We note.
It is also noted that in 2020, the Lithuanian police registered 55 thousand. calls for domestic violence, to start more than 7 thousand. pre-trial investigations in which 80% of victims – female partner victims. And domestic violence crimes account for a fifth of all crimes recorded in the country.
The organizations also point out that “the purpose of this Convention is to change public attitudes and combat gender stereotypes that lead to tolerance of violence against women.”
“The Convention defines violence against women as a violation of human rights and a form of discrimination against women, that is, all acts of gender violence that cause or may cause physical, sexual, psychological or economic harm or suffering. , including threats of violence, arbitrary or arbitrary acts, deprivation of liberty, either in public or in private ”, the organizations indicate.
As the Seimas promises to consider ratifying the Istanbul Convention, the debate on this issue has recently intensified in the public sphere.
The convention has been submitted to the Seimas for ratification by former President Dalia Grybauskaitė, but the process has stalled due to political disagreement over some provisions of the document.
Council of Europe experts say that Lithuania would have valuable advice to curb domestic violence. The Catholic Church and some politicians argue that the convention may require Lithuania to change the concept of gender and introduce unacceptable provisions on homosexuality.
Lithuania signed the Council of Europe Convention for the prevention and elimination of violence against women and domestic violence in 2013.
Seimas president Viktorija Čmilytė-Nielsen said that in the event of tensions in society, there is no promise that the ratification of the convention will be considered at the spring session of the Seimas. Povilas Mačiulis, an adviser to President Gitanas Nausėda, argued this week that if the public opposes plans to adopt the Istanbul Convention in the Seimas, a citizens’ assembly could be formed to consider it.
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