Maria Moodie of Garden Court acted as International Expert to the GREVIO delegation responsible for evaluating France’s implementation and compliance with the Istanbul Convention, also known as the Council of Europe Convention on preventing and combating violence against women and domestic violence.
This first (baseline) evaluation visit took place in Paris, Marseille and Lille between 8th and 12th October 2018 and involved meetings with several public institutions and ministries, including the Secretariat of State for Equality between Women and Men, the Inter-ministerial mission for the protection of women victims of violence and the fight against trafficking in human beings (MIPROF) and the Ministries of Solidarity and Health, the Interior, Justice, Education and Culture.
The GREVIO delegation also met with civil society and NGOs, including representatives of specialist support services and lawyers practicing in the field.
The Istanbul Convention requires states to fully address gender-based violence in all its forms and take measures to prevent such violence, protect the victims and prosecute the perpetrators.
GREVIO commended France on the policy and legislative measures it has so far adopted to strengthen the prevention and punishment of violence and promote equality. It however highlighted areas requiring improvement including, inter alia, access to specialised housing for victims, enhanced consideration of the situation of child victims who have witnessed domestic violence, an improved criminal response to rape and sexual violence and reconsideration of the civil protection order regime.
The GREVIO delegation was led by GREVIO’s Second Vice-President, Simona Lanzoni and GREVIO member, Helena Leitao and supported by the French Expert and lawyer Zoë Royaux and the International Expert Maria Moodie of Garden Court Chambers. Christina Olsen and Cigdem Kaya, members of the Council of Europe Secretariat based in Strasbourg, also formed part of the group.
GREVIO this week published its official report on France which can be found in full in both English and French.
