For women in Turkey, the main item on the agenda over the last year has been the İstanbul Convention.

The Turkish government made several moves to withdraw from the agreement saying that ”the convention endangers the institution of the family”. However, these attempts undermine the convention were resisted by women.

The İstanbul Convention is the most effective agreement available for the protection of women’s rights and the prevention of domestic violence, and violence against women in general. The purpose is to enact comprehensive policies and measures to protect and assist victims of violence.

Perhaps the most innovative aspect of the convention is that it establishes a control mechanism to monitor the fulfillment of the provisions. However, despite developments over the last six years, many articles regarding the contract remain unimplemented.

Nearly 300 women were killed by men so far in Turkey in 2020. If the İstanbul convention had been implemented, most of these women would be alive.