EP fights against gender-based violence
The European Parliament called on the three Visegrad Group countries – the Czech Republic, Slovakia, and Hungary – as well as Latvia, Lithuania, and Bulgaria to immediately ratify the Istanbul Convention on preventing and combating violence against women.
“Many myths have arisen around the Istanbul Convention, often repeated by its opponents. We have to fight this massive disinformation campaign," Dita Charanzová, Vice-President of the European Parliament, said in a commentary to the Czech Press Agency.
The Czech Republic signed the Istanbul Convention in 2016 but never ratified it. The same applies to Slovakia, where conservative parties accuse the documentary of promoting "gender ideology". In both countries, "fake news" is spread, saying, among others, that the ratification of the convention obliges the country to recognize the third gender.
Poland has ratified the convention, but in 2020 the government of the United Right suggested its intention to withdraw from the group of its signatories. In recent months, things have quieted down a bit.
Hungary's position on the Istanbul Convention is even more complicated. In May 2020, Fidesz's coalition partner, KDNP, submitted a political declaration to the parliament rejecting the document's ratification, claiming that it was in conflict with the government's migration policy.
