The Verkhovna Rada has ratified "The Council of Europe Convention on preventing and combating violence against women and domestic violence," better known as the Istanbul Convention.

259 MPs voted for it, four voted against and 25 abstained.

193 MPs of the parliamentary group "Sluha Narodu," 9 from "European Solidarity," 15 from the "Platform for Life and Peace," 10 from "Holos," all MPs from "Dovira" and the "Restoration of Ukraine" have supported the Convention.

All 13 MPs from "Batkivshchyna" who participated in the voting have abstained.

Ratification of the Istanbul Convention is a good signal ahead of the EU summit on Ukraine's readiness to implement the necessary reforms, as it is a kind of "marker of a civilized country" for EU member states.

It was especially significant for the Netherlands and Sweden, two 'skeptical' countries that eventually agreed to back candidate status for Ukraine.

The Istanbul Convention, an international agreement first signed in 2011, is a first document obliging the states which are party to it to create a legal framework to combat violence against women. The countries that have signed the Convention have to criminalize psychological abuse, stalking, physical and sexual abuse, forced marriage, forced abortion and sterilization.

The Convention was signed by 46 countries and the European Union. However, 10 countries (and Ukraine before today's vote) have not ratified the agreement. Ukraine joined the Istanbul Convention in 2011, but its ratification was delayed by protests from churches and conservative politicians because of the term 'gender' used in it.