“Silence speaks volumes” : a feminist socio-legal analysis of femicide in Greece, in relation to the Istanbul Convention

Abstract

Femicide is broadly defined as the killing of females by males because they are females. Across the globe, 1 in 3 women is subjected to all kinds of violence by an intimate partner or other perpetrators. In order to combat violence against women, the EU created its first legally binding instrument, the Istanbul Convention. At a national level, in Greece, due to the #metoo movement awakening, the phenomena of GBV, domestic violence, intimate partner violence, and, thus, femicide gained visibility and provoked public interest. Although developments have been made in terms of policies and legislation in the last two decades, women seem to continue suffering violence disproportionately, most likely in the hands of an intimate partner or other family members. Numerous feminists argue that combating this complex phenomenon requires first understanding the underlying dynamics of a world built by men for men and its' consequences, as in gendered roles and harmful heteronormative expectations that perpetuate violence. This thesis examines femicide as the most extreme form of violence against women in Greece's socio-legal context in correspondence with the Istanbul Convention. The feminist socio-legal analysis I am employing aims to expose patriarchy as a deeply rooted system of gender oppression ruling in Greece's legal and social discourse, impeding women from realizing their human rights and even from staying alive.