Istanbul Convention in Action

Edited by Wojciech Burek, Assistant Professor, Institute of European Studies, Jagiellonian University, Kraków, Poland, Katarzyna Sękowska-Kozłowska, Associate Professor, Institute of Law Studies, Polish Academy of Sciences, Poland and Director, Poznań Human Rights Centre and Andreas Zimmermann, Professor of Public International and European Union Law and Director, Human Rights Centre, University of Potsdam, Germany

‘This book analyses the campaign against the Istanbul Convention in Central and Eastern European countries under the slogan “gender ideology” and argues that the recognition of violence against women revealed structural inequalities between women and men. Highlighting femicide and rape, the book underlines the comprehensive and preventive approach of the Convention.’

• Contents1 Introduction – The Istanbul Convention: From the ‘goldstandard’ to its practical application 1Wojciech Burek, Katarzyna Sękowska-Kozłowska andAndreas Zimmermann2 Patriarchalism, ethno-nationalism, or self-determination?Explaining the backlash against the Istanbul Convention inCentral and Eastern Europe 14Ivo Gruev and Anna Śledzińska-Simon3 Parliamentary debates on the ratification of the IstanbulConvention in Poland and Germany 43Norman Weiß and Wiktor Gajos4 The Istanbul Convention in Italy: Legislative activism failingto protect women victims of violence 57Sara De Vido and Federica Valerio5 Implementation of the Istanbul Convention in Poland againsta backdrop of GREVIO’s first evaluation report: Findings,challenges, next steps 78Katarzyna Sękowska-Kozłowska and Aleksandra Szczerba6 Implementation of the Istanbul Convention in Finland: Somecontentious criminal law issues 99Elina Pirjatanniemi and Lisa Grans7 The Istanbul Convention and post-Soviet legislation ondomestic violence: Negotiation between traditional values andhuman rights of women 116Marianna Muravyeva and Yuliya Brin*8 The peculiar case of Bosnia and Herzegovina: No calls forabolishing the Istanbul Convention, no implementation either– The case of femicide 146Ajla Škrbić9 Preventing femicide through the implementation of theIstanbul Convention: An overview of the challenges andproblems in Germany and the role of legal NGOs in theenforcement of the Istanbul Convention 167Kaja Deller and Navin Mienert10 Femicide in Poland and the Istanbul Convention 187Magdalena Grzyb11 Rape in German criminal law: Law and practice from theperspective of the Istanbul Convention 205Julia Geneuss12 Rape in Polish law from the perspective of the IstanbulConvention: The conflicting concepts of sexual autonomy andsexual freedom 223Monika Płatek13 Implementation limits of the Istanbul Convention:Controversies surrounding the absolute prohibition ofmandatory mediation contained in its Article 48(1) 240Olga Sitarz and Katarzyna Sus14 Challenges and problems related to the implementation ofArticle 60 of the Istanbul Convention (gender-based asylumclaims): The case of Poland 259Magdalena Półtorak