A delegation of the Council of Europe's Group of Experts on Action against Violence against Women and Domestic Violence (GREVIO) is carrying out its follow-up evaluation visit to Sweden from 12 to 16 February 2024, focussing on the theme “Building trust by delivering support, protection and justice.” This visit is one of the steps in the 1st thematic evaluation round to monitor the implementation by Sweden of the Council of Europe Convention on preventing and combating violence against women and domestic violence (Istanbul Convention).
The 1st thematic evaluation round aims to address how national laws and policies in parties build trust, deliver support, and provide access to justice for women victims of violence, based on the questionnaire adopted by GREVIO on 13 October 2022. The visit will enable the delegation to obtain more in-depth information on the implementation of select provisions in the areas of prevention, protection, prosecution and co-ordinated policies, where the baseline evaluation report on Sweden and the conclusions on the implementation of the recommendations of the Committee of the Parties to the Istanbul Convention have revealed challenges and the need to take additional measures.
During the visit, the GREVIO delegation will be meeting with representatives from different ministries and public bodies, including, but not limited to the Ministry of Employment, the Swedish Gender Equality Agency, the Ministry for Health and Social Affairs, the National Board of Health and Welfare, the Ministry of Justice, the Swedish National Council for Crime Prevention, the Swedish Police, the Swedish Prosecution Authority, the Swedish Prison and Probation Service, the Ministry of Education and Research and the Swedish Migration Agency. By way of example, GREVIO will, in particular meet with medical and law enforcement professionals, respectively, at the Sodersjukhuset public hospital and at two police stations. In addition, the GREVIO delegation will be meeting with representatives of non-governmental organisations, civil society and independent bodies working in the area of violence against women.
GREVIO plans to publish its 1st thematic evaluation report on Sweden in the course of 2024.
