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Description
The aim of the project is to achieve a qualitatively new level and breakthrough in preventing and combating gender-based and intimate partner violence in Estonia. The project is necessary to enhance Estonia’s capacity to implement the Istanbul Convention and to achieve full implementation of the Convention from minimum requirements, taking into account all basic requirements and provisions. A shadow report will be prepared analysing the compliance of Estonian legislation with the requirements of the Convention and the country’s ability to meet the requirements for victims, explaining the protection of various vulnerable groups (minorities, immigrants, LGBT, women with disabilities, elderly women, etc). The most important activities are collecting input from the local level and related development of advocacy activities. The project partner Tartu University Faculty of Law will carry out legal analysis of the Estonian legislation. The tasks of the Pärnu Women’s Support Centre and the Social Capital Cooperation Centre are to conduct training roundtables for non-governmental organisations, especially women’s organisations, to ensure their capacity and competence to monitor compliance with the Istanbul Convention in Estonia.
Summary of project results
Estonia ratified the Council of Europe Convention on Preventing and Combating Violence Against Women and Domestic Violence (the Istanbul Convention) on September 21, 2017, thereby taking a firm stance against violence against women and domestic violence and categorically opposing any policies that tacitly condone such violence. In addition to committing to combat violence, Estonia undertook a series of obligations, the main one being a legal duty to adhere to the requirements of the Convention, along with clear guidelines on how to proceed in protecting victims and preventing violence. The Convention entered into force for Estonia on February 1, 2018.
However, experts noted several shortcomings in the implementation of the Convention to date:
Inadequate Implementation of the Istanbul Convention:
Estonia’s efforts to meet the Convention’s requirements remain minimal. Although some legal updates have been made, the legal framework is insufficient to address the specific nature of gender-based and domestic violence comprehensively.
Systemic Weaknesses in Victim Protection and Support:
The justice system often prioritizes institutional needs over victims'' rights, demonstrating indifference and even hostility. Existing support systems fail to meet the needs of vulnerable groups (e.g., ethnic minorities, immigrants, women with disabilities, LGBTQ individuals), and mediation practices in violence cases undermine victim protection.
Cultural and Structural Barriers:
Gender-stereotypical attitudes lead to victim-blaming and leniency towards perpetrators, reducing trust in law enforcement. Victims frequently withdraw complaints or consent to mediation due to fear of secondary victimization and societal pressure.
Lack of Civil Society Engagement and Advocacy:
Civil society organizations in Estonia lack the capacity and coordination needed to monitor and advocate effectively for gender-based and domestic violence victims, limiting their ability to hold the government accountable for implementing the Istanbul Convention.
The main objective of this project was to compile a shadow report on the implementation of the Istanbul Convention in Estonia:
- To highlight the most acute problems and shortcomings in victim protection that require immediate and urgent solutions.
- To propose measures for establishing a victim protection system in Estonia that complies with the requirements of the Istanbul Convention.
As a result of the project, a 164-page shadow report on the implementation of the Istanbul Convention in Estonia was completed. To prepare the shadow report, a legal analysis was carried out, from which it became clear that the Republic of Estonia does not fully fulfill the obligations stipulated in the Convention. The shadow report also provides an overview of the best practices in the implementation of the Istanbul Convention in the world and in Estonia, as well as GREVIO''s recommendations to the Estonian state for better implementation of the Istanbul Convention.
As the second goal of the project, a civil society pressure group was formed for the full-scale implementation of the Istanbul Convention in Estonia. To form a support network, seven seminars were held for representatives of vulnerable risk groups and women''s organizations, and the eighth, a concluding seminar to form the network. A plan was developed on how to intervene in the implementation of the Istanbul Convention, how to encourage but also pressure the state and authorities to protect victims based on the requirements of the Istanbul Convention.
To obtain input for the shadow report, a nationwide survey of specialists and a qualitative survey of representatives of vulnerable risk groups were organized. Based on the results of the research, a package of proposals and recommendations was developed on how the state should primarily work in cooperation with civil society organizations to improve the protection of victims of violence in Estonia and to achieve a qualitatively new level and breakthrough in the prevention and prevention of violence against women and family violence in Estonia.
The shadow report on the Istanbul Convention, along with a support manifesto developed by civil society organizations, has been sent to all relevant organizations in Estonia, including:
- Various civil society organizations, including those addressing violence against women and domestic violence.
- Media outlets such as Päevaleht, Postimees, Eesti Ekspress, ERR, and others.
- State institutions and ministries, including the Office of the President of the Republic, the Riigikogu (Parliament), the Office of the Gender Equality and Equal Treatment Commissioner, and the Ministries of Internal Affairs, Justice, Social Affairs, and Education, among others.
The shadow report has also been translated into English and sent to international institutions, such as GREVIO, EIGE, EWL, the European Parliament, and others.
To ensure the sustainability of the initiative, a pressure group has been established, consisting of several civil society organizations and field experts. The role of the pressure group is to regularly monitor Estonia’s compliance with the Istanbul Convention and to intervene when non-compliance is identified.