The Council of Europe Group of Experts on Action against Violence against Women and Domestic Violence (GREVIO) is presenting its monitoring results on Finland at an event in Helsinki, jointly organised with the country's authorities. The event marks the 10th anniversary of the entry into force of the Istanbul Convention. For the Finnish authorities, it is an opportunity to raise awareness about violence against women in the country.
Some 80 participants gathered to discuss the first thematic evaluation report on Finland, placing GREVIO's findings within the broader context of the first evaluation round, together with comments from the authorities and civil society.
"We have the means to combat various forms of violence against women, girls, and domestic violence. With GREVIO's new recommendations, we gain additional resources to influence public opinion, raise awareness, and take concrete actions. These measures will help prevent all forms of violence against women and girls, secure victims' rights, and hold perpetrators accountable, as required by the Istanbul Convention. Achieving these goals demands coordinated efforts," said Under-Secretary of State, Pekka Puustinen, welcoming participants to the event.
In the thematic report, GREVIO welcomes the important steps taken by Finland to prevent and combat violence against women. However, despite the progress made, GREVIO has identified areas requiring further action by the authorities to fully comply with the Istanbul Convention.
"GREVIO's monitoring work is based on dialogue so that countries can enhance the implementation of the Istanbul Convention to the fullest. It is best considered as an on-going conversation as to how to fill the convention's standards with meaning," said the Executive Secretary to the Istanbul Convention, Johanna Nelles.
Since the adoption of its baseline evaluation report in 2019, GREVIO has noted a range of positive developments under all four pillars in Finland's legislative framework. These include the adoption of a consent-based approach to the definition of rape, and legislative amendments to permit the dissolution of forced marriages. GREVIO also welcomed planned legislative amendments to criminalise forced marriages and female genital mutilation (FGM).
Other positive developments include reforms to the Finnish Act on Restraining Orders, amendments to various educational laws and policies and the recognition of the gendered nature of violence against women in the Action Plan for the implementation of the Istanbul Convention. Finland has also reinforced the role of the National Rapporteur within the Office of the Non-Discrimination Ombudsman with the aim of facilitating independent monitoring and evaluation of policies addressing violence against women and domestic violence.
Despite the positive developments, a persistent concern regarding prevention efforts is the absence of mandatory in-service training for many relevant professional groups, including judges and public prosecutors, on issues related to the Istanbul Convention. While many receive some form of initial training, subsequent training remains voluntary, which adversely affects their understanding and knowledge of various forms of violence against women.
Hence, GREVIO points to improvements necessary in the criminal justice response to violence against women, for example to better address the growing digital dimension of violence against women, to ensure greater effectiveness of emergency barring and protection orders and to reduce the number of cases discontinued due to mediation.
The Group of Experts is also calling on the Finnish authorities to address the lack of systematic collection of data to provide a comprehensive understanding of reporting, prosecution, attrition, and conviction rates in cases of violence against women.
Concerning Sami victims of violence against women, GREVIO expresses concern over the lack of culturally and linguistically appropriate generalist and specialist services, including the insufficient availability of shelters within the Sami homeland.
