'İstanbul Convention also matters for children'

'Children have a say on their bodies!' (Photo: Hale Güzin Kızılaslan/csgorselarsiv.org)

Click to read the article in Turkish

NGOs working in the field of children's rights have released a joint statement on Turkey's withdrawal from the İstanbul Convention, a Council of Europe treaty on combating and preventing violence against women.

The convention is important for not only women who are exposed to violence but also children and the youth, says the statement by the Partnership Network for Preventing Violence Against Children, a network formed by 33 NGOs.

President and Justice and Development Party (AKP) Chair Recep Tayyip Erdoğan on March 20 abruptly issued a decree pulling Turkey out of the convention. The move has attracted criticism and protests from women's rights groups and opposition parties.

"The İstanbul Convention, along with many other human rights conventions, also takes into account the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child," says the statement. "In other words, it considers all individuals as children up to the age of 18 and includes children in this contract.

"Withdrawal from the contract may lead to failure to take steps to eliminate gender inequality, block the development of preventive programs, to impunity for violence and abuse against women and children, as well as causing the acceptance of child abuse through marriage, failure the provision of post-abuse and post-violence support systems, and encouragement of hate speech and crimes towards lgbti+s.

"As organizations that are the members of the Partnership Network for Preventing Violence Against Children and that struggle against every type of violence that children are exposed to, we don't accept this decision and say 'İstanbul Convention saves lives'!" (AÖ/VK)