From Commitments to Practice: 10 Years with the Convention on Preventing Violence Against Women

Abstract

The aim of this article is to analyse the extent of implementation and effectiveness of the Council of Europe Convention on preventing and combating violence against women and domestic violence (the so‑called Istanbul Convention) in Poland, ten years after its adoption. The author focuses on assessing the legislative and administrative changes undertaken to align the national legal framework with the Convention’s requirements,
as well as on examining the extent to which government measures have contributed to the actual protection of individuals experiencing violence.

The article primarily draws on official sources, such as reports by GREVIO (the Group of Experts on Action against Violence against Women and Domestic Violence) and documents from the Committee on the Elimination of Discrimination against Women (CEDAW). Supplementary data come from non‑governmental organisations monitoring human rights observance, including the Helsinki Foundation for Human Rights and the Women’s Rights Center. The legal and institutional context is based on the national laws and regulations, notably the amended provisions of the Penal Code and the Act on Counteracting Domestic Violence. Methodologically, the text is founded on a dogmatic‑legal analysis (examining the content and interpretation of legal norms) and a comparative analysis, taking into account standards developed in the practice of other Council of Europe member states. A significant element is also the sociological reflection on the controversies surrounding the Istanbul Convention, including allegations of its “ideological” character and supposed interference with state sovereignty and the traditional family structure.

This article offers a comprehensive view of the Convention’s impact on Poland’s system for protecting women from violence, while highlighting the main challenges such as uneven funding for support services and the lack of consistent anti‑violence education. Due to the synthesis of research findings presented and a broad source base, the reader gains a multidimensional picture of the challenges and achievements associated with the implementation of the Istanbul Convention in Poland, which may serve as an inspiration for further efforts to improve the existing legal and organisational solutions.