Istanbul Convention
The Istanbul Convention is a Council of Europe convention that protects women and girls from various forms of violence. The Convention came into force in Switzerland on 1 April 2018. The Federal Office for Gender Equality (FOGE) is the national coordination body for implementation of the Istanbul Convention. In 2022, with the Swiss National Action Plan for the implementation of the Istanbul Convention, concrete measures were defined by the Confederation, the cantons and the communes..
Violence against women and domestic violence
Violence takes many forms and can affect anyone. Almost half of all violent crimes happen at home, in marriages, in partnerships and in families. Domestic violence can also affect men. However, it is more often directed against women. The same is true with regard to sexual harassment.