Members may recall that in late 2023 OFN provided a submission, to the Istanbul Convention monitoring Group of Experts on Violence Against Women (GREVIO). The OFN submission was accepted and we gave further oral and written information to GREVIO, specific to older women in UK.

GREVIO response to the UK Governments first baseline progress report was due in June 2024, due to the change of government was delayed until June 2025.

The report is 134 pages. GREVIO monitors are be congratulated for this evidenced based work. A comprehensive report which identifies practices both effective and deficient. There are urgent recommendations to address misogynistic culture, particularly in the police and fire service and strong encouragement to unify data for all categories of women and children subjected to MVAWG.

Key areas of progress and priorities for compliance with the Istanbul Convention Agenda extrapolated from the GREVIO.

1. The GREVIO monitors recognise that UK law complies with the convention’s expectations. Eg 1998 Human Rights Act, the 2010 Equality Act, 2021 domestic Abuse Act, with further protective legislation on the way that will outlaw strangulation of women during sex. GREVIO notes efforts to safeguard Refugee women who are highly vulnerable to all forms of male exploitation and violence.

2. Urgent recognition of the impact of intersectional discrimination, including older women. Urgent need for sustainable funding, to build greater capacity for the key themes of the convention that of, prevention, protection, prosecuting and punishing perpetrators of violence against women & girls (VAWG).

3. Recognition that years of Austerity have impacted progress on women’s safety and the rise of ’VAWG’. OFN wonders why, systematically, women are expected to bear the brunt of fiscal policy decisions. GREVIO urges greater authority funding for women’s estimated needs for protection facilities and redress.

 4. GREVO urges special action to hold to account police forces and other actors who exhibit sexism and misogyny, racist conduct and actual violence that inhibits or downplays VAWG, thereby leading to victim blame and poor prosecution/punishment outcomes. GREVIO urges health services and the judiciary to be also held to account, with clear provision for women to receive compensation. 

5. GREVIO strongly encourages prevalence data be collected in a unified fashion across all 4 UK Nations. It also commends various disclosure and safeguarding schemes dedicated to protecting women based on gender analysis approaches.

OFN Conclusion

2011 The Istanbul Convention was set up by the Council of Europe.  GREVIO regularly monitors all EU states signed up to the Convention. 

UK did not become a signatory until 2022, then followed first baseline report to the GREVIO in 2023 to which OFN and many other women’s group gave evidence. OFN welcomes that older women’s concerns were generally included in the GREVIO response (even though they referred to us as ‘elderly women’, despite our request to use ‘older women’).

OFN commends the report, though there is so much more to be done, that OFN remains sceptical that MVAWAG will see a significant reduction, despite the Convention’s best efforts to stem the tide.