site.btaSocialist Party Does Not Support Ratification of Istanbul Convention

Sofia, January 4 (BTA) - The Bulgarian Socialist Party (BSP) does not support the ratification of the Council of Europe Convention on preventing and combating violence against women and domestic violence (Istanbul Convention), the party's Executive Bureau stated on Wednesday.

It was reacting to the cabinet's proposal to Parliament to ratify the Convention, which met with a mixed reaction in the government coalition itself as the United Patriots also opposed the bill.

The BSP said: "We have always struggled against violence against women and children (...) but there is no way we can accept that 'parties shall take the necessary measures to promote changes in the social and cultural patterns of behaviour of women and men with a view to eradicating prejudices, customs, traditions and all other practices which are based on (...) stereotyped roles for women and men'. Nor can we accept the term 'gender' or that parties should take 'the necessary steps to include teaching material on issues such as (...) non-stereotyped gender roles (...) adapted to the evolving capacity of learners'."

The Socialists note that opinion differed when the Committee of Ministers of the Council of Europe discussed the draft Convention. This obviously accounts for the fact that it has been ratified by 28 of the 47 Member States of the Council of Europe since it was opened for signature in May 2011. Also, 17 EU Member States have ratified it and 11 have not, the BSP said.

The Socialists urged the government to withdraw its proposal to Parliament.