COUNCIL OF EUROPE CONVENTION ON PREVENTING AND COMBATING VIOLENCE AGAINST WOMEN AND DOMESTIC VIOLENCE IN SLOVENIA
COUNCIL OF EUROPE CONVENTION ON PREVENTING AND COMBATING VIOLENCE AGAINST WOMEN AND DOMESTIC VIOLENCE IN SLOVENIA

Summary/Abstract: The Istanbul Convention entered into force in June 2015 in the Republic of Slovenia. From the point of view of policy analysis and NGO activism, the processes of signing and ratification were exciting. We were confronted with stereotypical personal standings and ignorance of some ministers and bureaucrats but also with a high level of understanding of the problem of violence against women, commitment to human rights, instruments for their implementation, and even activism of other ministers, bureaucrats, parliamentarians, city administration bureaucrats. They cooperated with (women’s) NGOs and mobilized the general public – from athletes, singers, and actors to “ordinary” people. In the end, public pressure and expertise were decisive for the Convention to be ratified. With the adoption of the Domestic Violence Prevention Act in 2008, Slovenia began to build a system where we observe development towards a proactive approach with active intervention and exchange of information among institutions. Though it has made significant progress in the last few years, Slovenia still has a long way to go. From solving the problem of domestic violence staying underreported to victims’ trust in institutions, knowledge and lack of training of professionals at institutions, non-establishment of multidisciplinary teams, treating ‘less severe’ forms of violence as a misdemeanour, etc. Violence against women is fused with domestic violence and is part of this system. Understanding and naming violence against women as a cause and consequence of gender inequality, therefore, remains silenced.

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