Women March in Ukraine Against Gender Violence

By teleSUR

08 March 21

This country still maintains ineffective legislation for the protection of women and police are often reluctant to register complaints from survivors of domestic violence.

housands of Ukrainian women marched on Monday in Kyiv to demand the Cabinet of Ministers to ratify the Istanbul Convention, a European multilateral instrument for preventing and fighting violence against women.

"Why are we silent about the domestic violence that continues to grow in COVID-19 times? Why don't we say that the responsibility for taking care of children during long-distance classes has fallen on women?" the march organizers asked.

To demand the increase of social aid to mothers and the opening of state support centers for victims of domestic violence, Ukrainian women started a march from Mikhailovskaya Square to Pochtovaya Square.

"Feminism is freedom of choice", "Every day is Women's Day" and "Ratify the Istanbul Convention" were phrases they placed on their banners.

Security forces accompanied the women's march to protect participants from attacks by far-right organizations that had previously threatened to sabotage the demonstration.

The bill seeking ratification of the Istanbul Convention in Ukraine was introduced by former President Petro Poroshenko (2014-2019) but the Congress failed to pass it.

Human rights defenders have denounced that Ukraine still maintains ineffective legislation for the protection of women and police are often reluctant to register complaints from survivors of domestic gender-based violence. Besides, widespread impunity deters many victims from reporting cases of abuse.