Preventing and Combating Violence Against Women and Domestic Violence (Ratification of Convention) Bill — Second Reading — 16 Dec 2016 at 13:11

The majority of MPs taking part voted in favour of ratifying a European convention aimed at preventing and combating violence against women and domestic violence.

MPs were considering the Preventing and Combating Violence Against Women and Domestic Violence (Ratification of Convention) Bill^[1].

The motion supported by the majority of MPs in this vote was:

• That the Bill be now read a Second time.

Support for the motion enabled the Bill to continue on its path to becoming law.

The Bill requires the Government to take all reasonable steps as soon as reasonably practicable to enable the United Kingdom to become compliant with the Council of Europe Convention on preventing and combating violence against women and domestic violence, Treaty no. 210 (the “Istanbul Convention”).

The convention contains the following clauses, among others:

• Parties shall take the necessary legislative and other measures to promote and protect the right for everyone, particularly women, to live free from violence in both the public and the private sphere.
• Parties condemn all forms of discrimination against women and take, without delay, the necessary legislative and other measures to prevent it, in particular by:
• –embodying in their national constitutions or other appropriate legislation the principle of equality between women and men and ensuring the practical realisation of this principle;
• –prohibiting discrimination against women, including through the use of sanctions, where appropriate;
• –abolishing laws and practices which discriminate against women

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• [1] Parliament's webpage on the Preventing and Combating Violence Against Women and Domestic Violence (Ratification of Convention) Bill

Debate in Parliament |