This page explains what the Istanbul Convention (IC) is and why the UK should not ratify it.
Full name
Council of Europe Convention on preventing and combating violence against women and domestic violence.
Read the full document here.
History
Signed by the UK in 2011, but not yet ratified. See the state of play in different countries on this Wikipedia page.
Summary critique (not comprehensive)
It is unnecessary
None of the provisions contained in the Convention need the IC. All are either already included in UK law, or can be added to it. When this is done they can be in a gender-neutral way commonly used in UK law.
It distorts UK law
The Istanbul Convention has already had, and continues to have, a distorting effect on UK law. Laws such as the Domestic Abuse Bill 2019-21, the Violence against women and girls strategy and the Law Commission’s Hate Crime consultation all significantly influenced by the IC in ways that most UK citizens would not support (see examples sections)
It does not reflect our values
- gender is ‘socially constructed’
- violence against women by men is motivated by hatred of women
- traditional roles of father and mother must be eradicated
- children must be taught these values at all levels
- UK law must be developed using these values
It’s effects will be (are already) damaging
- failure to address the most common forms of interpersonal violence
- increased fatherless children
- confusion about gender in school-children
- reduction in stable families
- laws which discriminate against (or ignore) male victims
Watch our 15 min critique.
How we tracked a range of gender-biased documents back to the IC, and explain why the Convention should NOT be ratified..
Stop Gender, Stand for Family.
International Coalition in Defence of the Family in Poland 2020. (In English).
Speakers explain how the IC will damage the family.
Oops … is this the Istanbul Convention? Are you kidding me?
Another short (3min) video illustrating that the IC is not what it seems.
Gender ideology is masked by its worthy claim to be about ending violence against women and girls.
Useful articles
From The Critic by Andrew Tettenborn: ‘Ratifying the Istanbul Convention won’t protect British women.’
Critique by William Collins in ‘The Empathy Gap’
Gender Parity critique: ‘Why the UK should NOT ratify the Istanbul Convention’.
Detailed critique of the whole document.