Sexual and reproductive health and rights in the Istanbul Convention: an unfulfilled promise in the context of global backlash

This Chapter analyses the sexual and reproductive rights enshrined in the Istanbul Convention. It starts by reviewing the Convention and exploring the extent to which it has embraced and recognized these rights. It then discusses the essential and inextricable link between gender-based violence and sexual and reproductive health rights and highlights significant missed opportunities in the Convention. The analysis shows that the recognition of gender-based violence as a matter of international human rights law holds enormous transformative potential, and the Convention certainly deserves the praise it has garnered. However, its shortcomings hamper that potential with regards to sexual and reproductive rights and reveal even more grave in light of the widespread backlash in Europe and worldwide. This Chapter contributes to the literature by recognizing the importance of the Convention while advocating for more robust, holistic approaches to gender, violence, and sexual and reproductive health rights.