Today the Commissioner Jourová signed the Istanbul Convention in Strasbourg in the presence of the Secretary General of the Council of Europe, M. Thorbjørn Jagland.

The Council of Europe's Istanbul Convention provides the most progressive and comprehensive international standard on combatting violence against women and girls. The Convention recognises that violence against women constitutes a violation of their human rights. It also addresses violence against women through measures aimed at preventing violence, protecting and supporting its victims, and prosecuting the perpetrators.  

Combatting violence against women is one of the European Commission's priorities for 2017. This is why the Commission has launched a year-long campaign to raise awareness of all forms of violence towards women, which is using the hashtag #SayNoStopVAW on social media.

For more information

• Joint Statement by First Vice-President Timmermans and Commissioner Jourová following the Council Decision on signing the Convention on preventing and combating violence against women
• Factsheet on the EU actions to fight violence against women
• Factsheet on the Istanbul Convention
• Say no! Stop violence against women campaign