How far has the canton of Basel-Landschaft come in implementing the Istanbul Convention?

Alexa Ferel: Violence against women and domestic violence are an age-old and still taboo form of gender-specific abuse of power. The fact that violence against women in intimate relationships is also a serious problem in Switzerland was shown by the first Swiss-wide dark field study at the end of the 1990s (Gillioz Lucienne et al. 1997). Stopping domestic violence, protecting victims and prosecuting perpetrators have been the goals of the BL Domestic Violence Intervention Center ever since. And our working group against domestic violence, a government council commission, has been providing the relevant networking as a “round table” for over 20 years. In recent years, important legal foundations for improving victim protection have come into force at cantonal and national level. Victim support and the women’s shelter of the Basel cantons were and are indispensable institutions for victims of violence. And learning programs for perpetrators of violence have also been a mandatory part of victim protection for years.

We have been working to combat violence against women and domestic violence not only since the Istanbul Convention (IC) came into force. But the IC is an excellent additional instrument for promoting prevention, victim protection and criminal prosecution in an even more consistent and networked way – an opportunity that we absolutely want to and must seize.

What specific measures have already been taken in Baselland?

The implementation of the IC was started in 2019 with an initial inventory. The canton of Basel-Landschaft basically has good intervention structures and intervention instruments for preventing domestic violence and combating its consequences. However, there was also a need for action in various areas of the IC, which is why a cross-directorate project group was set up. The project group defined measures in four key areas for the first phase. On this basis, the Basel-Landschaft cantonal government decided to implement it in 2020. Around two years later, the report on the implementation of the measures, first phase, 2022, shows that the number of shelters for women and children affected by violence has been increased, together with the canton of Basel-Stadt. The gap in the work with perpetrators of intimate partner violence was closed with new services for foreign language speakers and women who use violence. To raise awareness of the situation of affected children as witnesses of domestic violence, important insights were gained and made available to professionals as a guide. In addition, school-based prevention of gender equality, non-violent conflict resolution and gender-specific violence was intensified. These focal points will be further developed by the responsible project members in consultation with the network as a “work in progress”.

For the next phase of implementing the IC, we are now focusing on the Domestic Violence Roadmap. At the end of April 2021, the Confederation and cantons agreed on very specific measures in ten fields of action to sustainably improve victim protection.

What progress has been made with implementation in Switzerland?

At national level, the Federal Council adopted the National Action Plan for the Implementation of the Istanbul Convention in July 2022. Thanks to bundled and coordinated measures, substantial progress is to be made by mid-2026 in raising awareness among the population and in the training and further education of responsible areas. Very importantly, the action plan also places a special focus on preventing and combating sexualized violence.

One aim of the convention is to improve coordination and networking between the agencies concerned. Has progress already been made here?

In general, the IC certainly has a major effect on all affected areas. Violence against women and domestic violence have become much more prominent in society and are also increasingly on the political agenda. This emphasis supports our networking work. The Covid-19 pandemic has shown how important it is to have functioning networking bodies: During the crisis, we were able to hold regular online meetings between the key victim protection agencies quickly and easily with our “Corona Group”. This ensured exchange and networking. This is an example of networking in action that directly benefits those affected by violence.

Why is networking so important?

At the operational level, working with both perpetrators and victims of violence is inconceivable without networking – of course always with the consent of those affected or within the framework of the law. Networking is essential, especially in protection management, which we take on on behalf of the cantonal threat management in cases of violence in couple relationships: with the shelters, with victim support and also with other agencies involved.

Where is the greatest need for action? What hurdles need to be overcome?

Clear indications of the need for action can be found in the proposals of the Council of Europe’s international panel of experts (GREVIO). It reviewed the implementation of IC in Switzerland last year and made recommendations to Switzerland. The Federal Council published a commentary on this in November 2022. Among other things, Switzerland is called upon to better recognize and name gender-specific violence and to derive measures from this.

Can you give an example?

We know that attempted or completed femicides in the context of domestic violence almost always occur during periods of separation or in connection with a partner’s desire to separate. Violent jealousy is often cited as a motive for the crime. We must question such trivializing justifications. Because this is about a devastating claim to ownership, destructive control and oppression, in the worst case the killing of a partner simply because she wanted to separate. Structurally, we must therefore work towards even more equality, for example by counteracting role perceptions that promote violence. Operationally, we really must always assess domestic violence – including psychological forms – before, during and after a separation and provide protective measures. In such cases, cantonal threat management can make an important contribution to interdisciplinary and inter-institutional networking and cooperation.

Where do you see further opportunities for improvement?

There is a need for action in terms of further development at all levels, and many measures can already be found in the strategic plans of the Confederation and the cantons. The implementation of measures is generally the responsibility of the cantons. Damit sich der Föderalismus nicht als unüberwindbare Hürde erweist, ist eine gute interkantonale Kooperation gefragt – Vernetzung also nicht nur innerhalb der Kantone, sondern auch unter den Kantonen.