A very important symposium was held at the University of Amsterdam on December 8, 2017 entitled: “Gender based violence and human rights: international perspectives.”

The panel discussion focused on to which extent does international law affect domestic implementation in the domain of policy and legal measures regarding gender based violence? Which future directions should be prioritized? National and international experts reflected on developments in international regulation of gender based violence.

The morning program addressed global developments. The afternoon program focused on European developments.

Violence against women

Violence against women is one of the most common violations of women’s human rights. According to the World Health Organization at least one in three women worldwide experience one or more serious physical and/or sexual violent incidents during their lifetime, often from an intimate partner or ex-partner. Gender inequality and social norms legitimating violence against women are underlying forces that feed into gender based violence. At the same time social protests are growing, with campaigns such as #MeToo and…

Violation of human rights

In the Council of Europe’s Istanbul Convention, violence against women has been recognized under international human rights law as a violation of human rights. According to the convention, it is the duty of governments to protect women as citizens against this violence and, above all, to prevent it. A historic milestone. Countries will have to report to what extent it is meeting those obligations. It is timely to reflect on the meaning of the convention.

The symposium was organized by Atria in collaboration with the University of Amsterdam and the Amsterdam Institute for Social Science Research, and with the generous support of the City of Amsterdam.