Reactionary sentiment is everywhere: Opponents of the Istanbul Convention take to the streets in Latvia

Under pressure from misogynistic reactionary groups, Turkey withdrew from the Istanbul Convention, of which it was the host country. Misogynistic groups are not only present in Turkey. Groups opposing the convention also held a protest in Latvia. The banners displayed read 'No to the Istanbul Convention'. 

REMARKABLE SIMILARITY

The similarities between groups opposing the Istanbul Convention all over the world are striking. Those who oppose the convention always defend the same arguments. In a study prepared in August, Latvia's only women's advocacy organization, the MARTA Centre, countered misinformation regarding the convention. In a statement titled 'No to disinformation! The Istanbul Convention cannot destroy family values' released in August, it pointed out that Latvia was one of the drafters of the Istanbul Convention. The key points in the statement are summarized as follows:

“It begins with illusions spread in the style of conspiracy theories that the Istanbul Convention is a foreign document imposed on us by Europe, and ends with the baseless belief that the convention will regulate family structure and destroy the traditional Latvian family and the imagination of humanity. Those who violate rights know no borders. On the contrary, Latvia was one of the authors of the Istanbul Convention, and there is no definition of the concept of "family" nor any specific type of family relationship present.

“In the spring of this year, the MARTA Centre launched the "Myths and facts about the Istanbul Convention" campaign, where it explained and debunked the most common disinformation claims, and invited Latvian residents to download the campaign's visual materials and distribute them on social networks, as well as send them to members of the Saeima and local governments.

“In our opinion, it is definitely the responsibility of politicians and officials to explain these myths to voters and the public, rather than blindly obeying or continuing to show indifference. Every day that public officials hesitate to approve an internationally recognized tool for combating violence creates an environment where victims of violence have less trust in public institutions, and the lives of women and children are further threatened.

“The dimensions of domestic violence are clearly visible not only in statistics but also in shocking cases covered in the media: Leons Rusinš, who killed his wife with an axe in front of their child and the woman's mother, or the murdered Raina Viksne, who was severely stabbed by her husband Janis Viksne after announcing she wanted a divorce. In both cases, it was observed that the attitudes and actions of law enforcement, which did not serve the interests and well-being of the victim, were inadequate.

“At the same time, the Latvian Parliament continues to ignore the safety and well-being of women by refusing to ratify the Istanbul Convention, an international document on the prevention of violence against women that has been ratified by 37 European countries. Latvia is one of six EU member states that have not done so, along with Bulgaria, the Czech Republic, Hungary, Lithuania, and Slovakia.

“Although Latvia has undertaken international obligations to eliminate gender discrimination and ensure gender equality since joining the EU, including the development and adoption of new regulatory laws as well as the development of policy documents, these obligations are not being fulfilled effectively enough. Thus, members of parliament clearly demonstrate their indifference toward victims of domestic violence, which is rooted in gender inequality.

As the MARTA Centre, we repeatedly call for listening to the voices of women who have suffered violence and not allowing disinformation to take precedence over human rights!

MYTHS AND FACTS ABOUT THE ISTANBUL CONVENTION

MYTH 1: THE ISTANBUL CONVENTION IS A FOREIGN DOCUMENT IMPOSED ON US BY EUROPE

Fact: Latvia was one of the authors of the Istanbul Convention. Ratification, which is the final step after signing that makes the convention binding, will also be a decision for Latvian authorities.

MYTH 2: LATVIA ALREADY HAS LAWS AGAINST VIOLENCE AND THERE IS NO NEED FOR A CONVENTION

Fact: With the ratification of the convention, preventing and combating violence is no longer a matter of individual politicians' will, but has become a legal obligation of the state under international law. Ratification involves changing laws, implementing practical measures, and providing funding to ensure zero tolerance for violence against women and domestic violence.

MYTH 3: THE TERM "GENDER" WILL INTRODUCE NEW GENDERS IN LATVIA

Fact: The term "gender" does not replace the terms "woman" and "man" used in the Convention. That is, women are subjected to violence not because they have female body parts, but because there is a stereotype in society that women are the "weaker sex," that women are subject to the will of men, etc. Similarly, men tend to resort to violence not just because they were born that way, but because society often imposes a "macho" role on men, such as solving conflicts with fists, not showing emotions, etc., which encourages violent behavior and conduct in the family in the future. As the Council of Europe has repeatedly explained, this term has nothing to do with a person's gender identity.

MYTH 4: THE ISTANBUL CONVENTION WILL REGULATE FAMILY LIFE OR STRUCTURE AND DESTROY THE TRADITIONAL LATVIAN FAMILY

Fact: The purpose of the convention is not to regulate family life or family structure. The convention does not define the term "family" and does not establish or support any specific type of family relationship. The Istanbul Convention aims to end violence against women and domestic violence.

MYTH 5: THE ISTANBUL CONVENTION CONTRADICTS RELIGIOUS TRADITIONS IN LATVIA

Fact: The convention does not interfere with religious norms. However, it emphasizes that culture, custom, religion, or tradition cannot be an excuse for violence. The Istanbul Convention has been ratified by many countries with strong religious traditions, including Serbia, Greece, Cyprus, Montenegro, Georgia, Spain, San Marino, Italy, and Poland. 

MYTH 6: THE CONVENTION WILL INTRODUCE SAME-SEX MARRIAGE IN LATVIA

Fact: The Istanbul Convention does not in any way regulate or define marriage or cohabitation, and does not require laws that would provide legal recognition for same-sex couples. Many countries that do not recognize same-sex marriage have already ratified the convention.

MYTH 7: THE CONVENTION WILL IMPLEMENT THE TERMS "SEXUAL ORIENTATION" AND "GENDER IDENTITY" IN LATVIA

Fact: The Istanbul Convention does not make it legally mandatory to define gender identity and sexual orientation. The above terms were included in the convention solely to ensure that a person's sexual orientation and gender identity are not used as an excuse to justify violence.

MYTH 8: THE CONVENTION ONLY PROTECTS WOMEN AND ELEVATES THEM TO A PRIVILEGED STATUS

Fact: The Istanbul Convention focuses on women because it covers forms of violence that only women are subjected to (forced abortion, female genital mutilation) or forms of violence that women face more frequently than men (sexual violence and rape, stalking, sexual harassment, domestic violence, forced marriage, forced sterilization). However, the Convention encourages the application of its provisions to all victims of domestic violence, including men and children. The convention does not exclude men who are subjected to violence.

MYTH 9: THE CONVENTION ENCOURAGES INTERFERENCE BY OTHER COUNTRIES IN LATVIA'S EDUCATION PROCESS

Fact: Since attitudes, beliefs, and behavioral patterns are formed very early in life, the Istanbul Convention recognizes education as an important element in preventing violence against women. However, the convention gives countries flexibility in deciding when and how to address gender equality, mutual respect, and non-violent topics in formal and informal educational institutions. The goal is to encourage the development of the natural talents and abilities of girls and boys and to expand their educational, professional, and life opportunities.

MYTH 10: THE ISTANBUL CONVENTION IS BASED ON RADICAL FEMINIST IDEAS OF CLASS STRUGGLE WHERE ALL MEN ARE CRUEL AND ALL WOMEN ARE VICTIMS.

Fact: The perpetrators and motivations of violence against women are different from violence against men; that is, as many international studies show, while most female victims suffer directly because of their close partners or spouses, men suffer from other men.

Unfortunately, the largest number of clients at the "MARTA" Centre are women aged 36-45, and in 98% of cases, the perpetrator of the violence is a man - a husband, partner, ex-husband or partner, son, father, stepfather, or stepson (last year, MARTA Centre experts worked with 664 victims of violence). Below are also 2021 statistics showing that violent or criminal behavior in Latvia is mostly among men.

MYTH 11: THE ISTANBUL CONVENTION EXPOSES LATVIA TO THE AUTHORITY AND OPINION OF THE UNDEMOCRATICALLY ELECTED GREVIO GROUP OF EXPERTS

Fact: GREVIO in no way harms national self-determination. Furthermore, the GREVIO group of experts consists of experts from various countries that have ratified the convention, and they are democratically elected for a specific term. They are selected by a committee consisting of member states that include elected representatives of all countries that have ratified the convention.

MYTH 12: VIOLENCE STATISTICS IN COUNTRIES THAT HAVE RATIFIED THE ISTANBUL CONVENTION ARE HIGH

Fact: We would like to draw attention to the fact that in countries where violence against women and domestic violence have begun to be counted statistically accurately and prevention policies have been implemented, reporting rates generally increase because victims or those around them show the courage to report it.