On 7 March 2025, the Violence against Women Division organised a follow-up round table on the implementation of the Istanbul Convention in Estonia, aimed at promoting national synergies in addressing violence against women. The meeting provided the unique opportunity to take stock of and discuss progress, remaining challenges and ways forwards in order to comply with the findings of the Group of Experts on Action against Violence against Women and Domestic Violence (GREVIO) baseline evaluation report on Estonia published on 17 November 2022, as well as the recommendations of the Committee of the Parties to Estonia adopted on 12 December 2022.

The meeting brought together 40 public representatives from all relevant sectors, along with women’s NGOs providing specialist support services and advocacy. It was opened by the Minister of Social Protection, Signe Riisalo, who emphasised the actions taken by the Estonian authorities in the past few years to strengthen laws, policies, and measures to combat violence against women, as well as efforts to challenge harmful gender norms with a focus on prevention.

The participants exchanged views on improvements and measures needed to ensure the accessibility and availability of specialist support services for women affected by all forms of violence covered by the Istanbul Convention, as well as on the need for comprehensive training for frontline responders and relevant professionals across all sectors, especially law enforcement officials and those in the judicial sector. The various legal reforms that are underway were also highlighted, including the adoption of a consent-based definition of sexual violence. The discussions further underlined the importance of considering cases of domestic violence in decisions regarding custody and visitation rights.

The panel discussions also highlighted the persistence of gender stereotypes in Estonian society, stressing the importance of prevention and awareness-raising measures.

As a next step in the monitoring, the Estonian authorities are requested to report to the Committee of the Parties by the end of 2025 on the implementation of its recommendations. In 2025, Estonia is expected to undergo the first thematic evaluation procedure by GREVIO on the theme of “Building trust by delivering support, protection and justice”.