Withdrawal from Istanbul Convention: A Pushback Against Women’s Rights?

Violence against women is one of the ways in which men dominate and oppress women as a result of gender inequality. Femicide is the most extreme form of violence against women. Nevertheless, it is only recently that the significance of this issue has been recognised, and legal remedies have begun to be formulated. As a violation of human rights, femicide requires the state to take protective and preventive measures. It is therefore regulated by both international conventions and national laws.

In this context, the Council of Europe Convention on preventing and combating violence against women and domestic violence (Istanbul Convention) is particularly relevant. The Convention, which aims to “protect women against all forms of violence, and prevent, prosecute and eliminate violence against women and domestic violence”, obliges signatory states to adopt the necessary legal provisions and take measures to ensure that individuals, in particular women, can live a life free from violence in both the public and private spheres. Despite being the first country to sign the Convention, Türkiye withdrew from it in 2021. This study aims to determine whether Law No. 6284 on the Protection of the Family and the Prevention of Violence against Women is being effectively implemented and to assess the impact of Turkey's withdrawal from the Istanbul Convention on violence against women, with a particular focus on femicide.