| Author (Person) | Rocha, Frederico |
|---|---|
| Publisher | Cardiff EDC |
| Series Details | February to March 2018 |
| Publication Date | 13/03/2018 |
| Content Type | News |
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Further information: Bulgaria's Prime Minister withdrew in February 2018 from the Parliament a motion to ratify the Istanbul Convention, following growing opposition from the remaining parties (including a junior coalition partner) and the overall population. Later, Slovakia's head of government showed his opposition to ratification because he considered it at odds with the country’s constitutional definition of marriage as a heterosexual union. The problems facing the ratification of the Convention was subject to debate at the plenary session of the European Parliament on 12 March. Some analysts saw these developments as further evidence of widespread resistance among the more socially conservative countries of the former eastern bloc to the liberal values of wealthier Western Europe. Background information: The Istanbul Convention, the most comprehensive international treaty on fighting violence against women, was adopted by the Council of Europe in 2011. It entered into force in August 2014 and was signed by the European Union in June 2017. The Convention is the first international treaty containing a definition of 'gender' as 'social roles, behaviours, activities and characteristics that a particular society considers appropriate for women and men' – according to Art. 3 of the Convention. Detractors claim that this opens the door to legalising gay marriage and promoting homosexuality in school by so-called promoters of 'gender ideology'. Reports of a wave of opposition to the ratification of the Istanbul Convention on preventing and combating violence against women and domestic violence. |
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| Subject Categories | Employment and Social Affairs, Law |
| Countries / Regions | Europe |
