Bill proposed to implement Istanbul Convention on violence against women

Eilidh Whiteford, MP for Banff and Buchan, has presented a bill to Westminster calling on the UK government to “take all reasonable steps as soon as reasonably practicable to enable the UK to become compliant with the Council of Europe convention – the Istanbul Convention – on preventing and combating violence against women and domestic violence”. The Convention was signed by the UK Government in 2012, but is yet to be ratified.

Scotland’s Equalities Secretary Angela Constance has also pressed the UK Government to bring forward a timetable to ratify the Istanbul Convention.  The Cabinet Secretary wrote to Home Secretary Amber Rudd this week, during the 16 Days of Activism Against Gender-Based Violence, urging the UK Government to set out a clear timetable for ratification and to engage with the Scottish Government in the process.