Lawmakers in the Czech Republic’s upper house, the Senate, recently voted against ratifying the Istanbul Convention, an international treaty that aims to prevent and combat violence against women. The vote was conducted late on Wednesday and fell short of the required votes for ratification by two.
Consequently, the Czech Republic remains among the minority of European countries that have signed but not ratified the treaty. The Istanbul Convention acknowledges violence against women as a human rights violation and covers different forms of gender-based violence. It was first signed in Istanbul in 2011 and came into force three years later.
Czech conservatives who opposed the treaty have cited its deviation from traditional gender roles as one of their main concerns. They also argue that ratifying the treaty has not reduced violence in countries that have already done so.
However, it’s important to note that the vote doesn’t mean the Czech Republic rejected or withdrew from the treaty signed in 2016. Most European Union states have signed and ratified the treaty, except Slovakia, which has also not ratified it. In 2021, Turkey withdrew from the treaty.
The Senate vote also means that the lower house of parliament is unlikely to address the treaty now, according to CTK news agency.
“We are sending a very bad signal to women and girls that we do not consider it necessary to protect victims of domestic violence,” Czech European Affairs Minister Martin Dvorak wrote in a post on the X social media platform. He also called the rejection an “international disgrace”.
Prime Minister Petr Fiala, quoted in an interview with the tabloid Blesk, said the rejection was not a signal and would not impact the country’s fight against violence and existing laws. A broader debate is needed for its future ratification, he said.
