Violence against Women

The International Convention for Preventing and Combating Violence Against Women
and Domestic Violence – The Istanbul Convention 

The Rackman Center calls on the State of Israel to join the Council of Europe Convention for Preventing and Combating Violence Against Women and Domestic Violence (the Istanbul Convention). 

Prof. Ruth Halperin-Kaddari, Academic Director of the Rackman Center: “The Convention is one of the most important international

mechanisms currently in existence. It creates a comprehensive, orderly, and clear framework that enables every country to make progress in this field.”

Adv. Karen Horowitz, CEO of the Rackman Center:

“The Istanbul Convention offers an opportunity for change. It proposes a comprehensive solution 

that includes the synchronization of different systems, and which is committed to meaningful endeavor as part of the coordinated global effort to combat violence against women.”

As part of the effort to implement the Convention’s principles in Israel, it is important to us for as many people as possible to become familiar with it and we have therefore translated the Wikipedia entry for “The Istanbul Convention” into Hebrew and also prepared an unofficial Hebrew translation of the Convention itself.

The Council of Europe Convention for Preventing and Combating Violence Against Women and Domestic Violence (known as the Istanbul Convention) is today’s accepted international standard in the field of combatting domestic violence. The Convention focuses on preventing violence, defending victims, prosecution procedures, sanction and monitoring of offenders, and coordination between all the relevant bodies. 

All countries may join the Convention and 45 have already done so.

We call on the State of Israel to adopt the Convention, to apply its standards, and to provide solutions for protecting women from violence.

It is important to note that:

1. Countries signing the Istanbul Convention have been successful in generating a change in public consciousness, among others through educational programs aimed at preventing violence against women. 
2. Data shows that countries which sign the Istanbul Convention possess tools that enable them to contend better with the increased phenomenon of violence against women and domestic violence since the outbreak of the Covid epidemic in March 2020. 
3. The Istanbul Convention creates an overview and a clear statement about coordination and synchronization between government and entities responsible for prevention, handing, and enforcement, and includes standards for deriving operational work plans to be implemented by all authorities. 

In the Kan-11 program “World Today” (from min. 11:25) and the “International Hour” on radio station Kan-Bet (from min.18:10), Prof. Ruth Halperin-Kaddari explains (in Hebrew) why it is critical for Israel to immediately implement the principles of the Istanbul Convention.