No one should ever be subjected to violence. Yet Varro Vooglaid, a member of the Riigikogu, has called the Istanbul Convention — an international agreement created to protect women and children — an "ideological Trojan horse." EKRE, meanwhile, has introduced a bill for Estonia to withdraw from the convention. What have women and children done to deserve this?

Instead of discussing how to reduce violence and protect people, the focus has turned to hunting for an enemy in an invisible "radical gender ideology." The issue is that the convention says you must not beat women or anyone who identifies as a woman. This small detail in the convention does not, by the way, impact things like whether certain athletes are allowed to compete against others in skiing or boxing. Those decisions are made independently by the sports community.

What the Istanbul Convention does reflect is a deeply human understanding: that some people in society are more vulnerable and that protecting them is a wise thing for countries to agree on together.

Let's remind ourselves why it has made sense to adopt an agreement protecting women and children. We know, as a generally accepted fact, that men are on average physically stronger than women. We also understand that there are delicate periods in women's lives, such as during pregnancy and breastfeeding, when they are inevitably more dependent on others. Elderly women, too, tend to be more fragile than men, both in terms of strength and financial stability.

Statistics show that women and children are far more often victims of violence by men than the reverse. And in some cases, this idea that "a woman's place is between the fist and the stove" is still culturally accepted.

The facts speak clearly: protection is needed. In 2024 alone, 3,373 domestic violence crimes were registered in Estonia and 78 percent of the victims were women and girls. Ninety percent of sexual crime victims are women. These are not marginal cases or "imaginary problems." This is our Estonia — these are our families and our victims.

An unavoidable question arises: who is effectively declaring "war" on the protection of women and children and why? The Istanbul Convention is not an ideological project — it is a commitment to defending human rights. It does not change Estonian family law, does not demand a gender-neutral society and does not in any way undermine the family as the foundation of society.

What the convention actually says is something entirely different. It acknowledges that women and men experience violence differently and that the state must have a functioning framework in place to protect them. And yes, if someone appears to be a woman and also feels like a woman, they too will experience violence differently than a typical strong man — and of course, as human beings, we believe that everyone deserves protection from violence.

Statistically, about 60 people in Estonia have chromosome combinations other than the usual XX or XY. Really — these individuals have done nothing to deserve being subjected to violence either.

Even though Estonia would have stood against violence without the convention, international cooperation has had a real, tangible impact. Thanks to the convention, crisis centers for sexual violence have been established in Estonia, new criminal definitions such as stalking and sexual harassment have been introduced and a national agreement on violence prevention has been adopted.

The Riigikogu is currently discussing the so-called "consent law," which would bring Estonian criminal law in line with the values of 97 percent of Estonians — namely, that sexual activity requires the clear and voluntary consent of both parties.

These are just a few examples of real actions that have saved lives, offered support and restored a sense of safety to those from whom it was once taken by force.

A key strength of the convention is also the international cooperation it enables in combating violence against women and girls, as many forms of violence today transcend national borders. For example, a study conducted in Germany among women aged 18–65 shows that one in two women aged 18–35 had received messages or comments on social media they considered sexually offensive. Additionally, 40 percent had received unsolicited explicit images or pornography and 34 percent had experienced online harassment or cyberstalking.

None of us wants our mother, grandmother, wife, partner or daughter to become a victim of revenge porn or online harassment. Unfortunately, these types of crimes are often committed by perpetrators operating across borders. That's why Estonia's cooperation with other countries and organizations is crucial to effectively prevent and stop this kind of wrongdoing together.

It is therefore particularly telling when a safety net for victims, primarily women and children, is described as a Trojan horse that should be dismantled. Such an attitude says nothing about the convention itself, but it says a great deal about the worldview behind it.

What kind of person sees it as a worthy goal to undo the very measures that protect the most vulnerable? Mothers and daughters, fragile women? What political logic prioritizes ideological struggle over human lives, health and dignity?

It is frightening to think where we'll end up if political ambition outweighs human dignity. The Istanbul Convention is not a Trojan horse. The real "ideological Trojan horse" is the attempt to convince society that the protection of women and children is something we can casually discard.

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