The EU-funded regional programme on ending violence against women in the Western Balkans and Turkey held its third regional forum on 1 and 2 December 2021. Under the headline, “Integrated Policies, Inclusive Partnerships”, the event aimed to accelerate the implementation of international and regional commitments on ending violence against women.

This year, the forum addressed issues including work with perpetrators to protect women and children; shifting social norms to tackle violence against women; and leveraging data to prevent and respond to cases of femicide, especially with the needs revealed by the COVID-19 pandemic and the inequalities it has exacerbated. The forum also discussed better implementation of the standards and provisions outlined in the Istanbul Convention.

The forum was convened in cooperation with the Directorate-General for Neighbourhood and Enlargement Negotiations – DG NEAR, the Council of Europe, and Bosnia and Herzegovina’s Agency for Gender Equality. It brought together stakeholders within national governments, civil society, and regional institutions on gender equality.