Berichterstattung

National Rapporteur Mechanism on gender-based violence

Monitoring Report: Violence Against Women. Implementation of the Istanbul Convention in Germany

On 3 December 2020, the German Institute for Human Rights National Rapporteur Mechanism on gender-based violence presented its first periodic report entitled “Monitoring Report: Violence Against Women - Implementation of the Istanbul Convention in Germany”.

This first report was also published as a summary report in English. The publication provides a comprehensive insight into how the phenomenon of gender-specific violence in Germany developed during the reporting period and what efforts the federal and state governments have made to fulfil their human rights obligations under the Istanbul Convention.

“Everyone has the right to live their life free from violence. The Istanbul Convention makes it clear: gender-based violence is a violation of human dignity and fundamental human rights. Protecting and supporting those affected is not only a social duty, but above all a state duty and a binding legal right.”

Müşerref Tanrıverdi, head of the National Rapporteur Mechanism on gender-based violence

In its first reporting cycle, the reporting body presents the extent of gender-specific violence in Germany based on data and statistics from the police and data from civil society organisations. This includes the forms of violence mentioned in the Istanbul Convention as well as intimate partner and intra-family violence. The report also analyses the implementation status of the Istanbul Convention in eight key areas:

Analysis of the federal and state action plans
Prevention
Protection and counselling
Visitation rights and custody
Femicides
Protection against violence
Asylum and migration
The digital dimension of violence

Data collection

Developments on the topic of gender-based violence and the implementation of human rights obligations is based on extensive data collection from federal ministries, subordinate authorities, state ministries and civil society on a range of selected topics. The following bodies were involved at the federal level:

Federal Ministry for Family Affairs, Senior Citizens, Women and Youth (BMFSFJ)
Federal Ministry of the Interior and Community (BMI)
Federal Office for Migration and Refugees (BAMF)
German Judicial Academy (DRA)
National Violence against Women Helpline at the Federal Office of Family Affairs and Civil Society Functions (BAFzA)
Sexual Abuse Helpline, funded by the Independent Commissioner for Child Sexual Abuse Issues (UBSKM)
Federal Association for Work with Perpetrators of Domestic Violence (BAG TäHG)
Federal Association of Women’s Counselling and Rape Crisis Centres (bff)
Association of Women’s Shelters (FHK)

The reporting period ran from 1 January 2020 to 31 December 2022. The report’s evaluation of legislation and case law includes developments up to 31 July 2024, and it also reflects significant and relevant individual developments that took place after the aforementioned date. Publicly available statistics, documents and studies, including printed material from the German Bundestag and the federal states, were also used for the report.

In order to better protect victims of gender-based violence, the German government entrusted the German Institute for Human Rights with the establishment of the National Rapporteur Mechanism on gender-based violence. Its core task is to monitor and evaluate the implementation of the Istanbul Convention in Germany. This is done through a combination of data-driven analysis and examination of the legal situation. As an independent body, the National Rapporteur Mechanism provides information on the state of implementation of the Istanbul Convention, closes knowledge gaps on national implementation and develops evidence-based recommendations for action for policymakers, public authorities and civil society. Its other tasks include focussing sustained attention on the needs of those affected by gender-based violence – at the German, European and international level.

More information on the tasks and work of the National Rapporteur Mechanism

Publications

The Council of Europe Convention on preventing and combating violence against women and domestic violence (Istanbul Convention), the Council of Europe Convention on Action against Trafficking in Human Beings (Trafficking Convention) and the EU Directive…

Within a project funded by the Federal Ministry for Family Affairs, Senior Citizens, Women and Youth (BMFSFJ), the German Institute for Human Rights (DIMR: Deutsches Institut für Menschenrechte) has been developing a concept for one (or two) National…

This summary report presents a brief overview on the development of gender-based violence in Germany since January 1, 2020, and on the federal and state governments’ efforts to meet their obligations under human rights and European law in this area.

All publications

Contact

Müşerref Tanrıverdi

Head of Department

Phone: +4930 259 359 – 26

E-mail: tanriverdi(at)dimr.de

Lena Franke

Researcher and Policy Adviser

(absent until April 2025)

Phone: +4930 259 359 - 482

E-mail: franke(at)dimr.de

Dr. Konstantin Häusler

Researcher and Policy Adviser

Phone: +4930 259 359 – 301

E-mail: haeusler(at)dimr.de

Sina Kahlmeier

Project Assistant

Phone: +4930 259 359 - 26

E-mail: kahlmeier(at)dimr.de

Bettina Krestel

Project Coordinator

Phone: +4930 259 359 - 28

E-mail: krestel(at)dimr.de

Jolanda Krok

Researcher and Policy Adviser

Phone: +4930 259 359 - 29

E-mail: jkrok(at)dimr.de

Silvia Schürmann-Ebenfeld

Researcher and Policy Adviser

Phone: +4930 259 359 - 486

E-mail: schuermann-ebenfeld(at)dimr.de

Lina Schwarz

Researcher and Policy Adviser

(absent until September 2025)

Phone: +4930 259 359 - 45

E-mail: schwarz(at)dimr.de

Monitoring Report: Violence Against Women. Implementation of the Istanbul Convention in Germany

Data collection

Publications

Concept for two National Rapporteur Mechanisms on gender-based violence and trafficking in human beings

Concept for a National Rapporteur Mechanism on gender-based violence