International Policy Framework

Abstract

This chapter describes the international policy framework and efforts made on the international and European level to further the fight against violence against women and domestic violence. The respective national legal frameworks and organisational context of front-line responder services are discussed in-depth in the following chapters. The IMPRODOVA project followed a bottom-up approach in its investigation of ground-level practices of cooperation of front-line responder services, which are, however, only meaningfully understood when interpreted in the governing national legal and policy framework. While numerous international policy documents relate to domestic violence, the ratification of the Convention on Preventing and Combating Violence against Women and Domestic Violence in 2011 represents perhaps the most significant attempt to institute a comprehensive policy framework in this field. The "Istanbul Convention" includes the first legally binding, international, and wide-reaching set of norms to combat violence against women in general and domestic violence specifically.