What is this Istanbul Convention? When is it being held?

Ok – this mix up is pretty fair. With no introduction the IC does sound rather like a trade event that gives you an excuse for a holiday with sun, kebabs and hamam.

But actually the Istanbul Convention is a piece of paper. A pretty potent piece of paper. It is a piece of international law, known by its other name as the Convention on preventing and combating violence against women and domestic violence.

Ok, definitely can concede that it’s not the niftiest of names – which is why we affectionately call it the “IC”. But it is an accurate description of a law that UN Women have commended as a “gold standard” for tackling violence against women.

The law breaks down into manageable and pragmatic steps to prevent violence against women and girls, protect and support those experiencing violence, and prosecute the people responsible.

So why are we demanding that the UK government makes this law?

What drives a group of people to give up their spare time to ask the UK government to enact a law? I mean what can a law really do? What do I see in this?

The answer is Change.

In fact, you can already see the change. As the UK government has prepared to bring this law into force it has already changed a whole host of violence against women legislation on a range of issue – including on forced marriage, FGM and coercive control (psychological domestic violence).

This is a great start. But the IC goes beyond this. The IC ensures practical, on the ground action. It ensures that there are enough shelters for women fleeing domestic abuse, enough accessible rape crisis and sexual violence referral centres, and stronger efforts to end female genital mutilation. And these are just three examples of many.

The legislation and services can all legally disappear without the IC being ratified, as we know to be the risk. The IC is a guarantee that the issue of violence against women has to stay on the table now – and for future generations. Women deserve this guarantee. Women deserve to live life free from fear, free from violence.

It’s a clever, practical law. It calls for action. It provides the things experts say are needed. Experts including women who have experienced violence, those providing support services to those women, and women who fit into both of these groups.

So take a moment to tell the UK government that we want to see the IC law in the UK - and share that moment on Twitter and Facebook to encourage others to join us in calling for change. If people ask you what you see in this law, you can say:

ICchange