The Istanbul Convention discriminates against men
A group of eight senators, mainly from the ranks of governing parties, rejects the ratification of the Istanbul Convention, aimed at combating violence and discrimination against women, on the grounds that it discriminates against men. They argue that the convention favors women and does not ensure an equal status for men. The constitutional law committee also advised against ratifying the convention, considering it to be ideologically motivated.
These senators, including Tomáš Jirsa from ODS and Jiří Čunek from KDU-ČSL, claim that the Istanbul Convention includes discrimination against men as it requires special measures to protect women. They also assert that the Czech Republic already punishes any violence and that the convention is redundant. The document points out that the ratification of the convention has not led to a decrease in violence in any country.
The senators also claim that the Istanbul Convention contradicts Czech law, which emphasizes equality and an individual approach. They question the convention's assumptions that women are more often victims of domestic violence than men, and argue that men also suffer, especially from psychological violence.
In addition, they dislike that the convention uses the term "gender," which they believe alters the Czech legal order. They also warn that the ratification of the convention would grant "unlimited rights" to the monitoring group and the committee of contracting parties, which have the right to monitor the compliance with the convention.
The constitutional law committee, in Wednesday's deliberation of the convention, once again criticized the convention. It emphasized that the convention is an "ideological document that does not help victims of domestic violence in a practical way."
