THREAD: Instead of working to protect women & girls during the #COVID19 pandemic, #Hungary has just rushed through a vote to withdraw from a groundbreaking European treaty to combat violence against women. #IstanbulConvention. hungarytoday.hu/govt-rejects-r… 
#Hungary's Christian Democratic Party introduced the bill only last night, on the grounds that the #IstanbulConvention's protections of #migrants and #refugees contradict national policy, and that it promotes so-called "gender ideology." voiceofeurope.com/2020/05/hungar…
Such misinformation has been used to advance homophobic, anti-migrant & anti-women's rights agendas elsewhere in the region. Misrepresentation of efforts towards gender equality has provoked dangerous attacks on women's & #LGBT rights in #Poland. See @hrw hrw.org/news/2019/02/0…
And my take on #Bulgaria's ruling that the #IstanbulConvention is "unconstitutional" because of its stance on gender equality and recognition of #LGBTQI people: hrw.org/news/2018/10/1… @hrw
Make no mistake: such moves by gov'ts in #Hungary, #Poland, #Bulgaria and others do nothing to protect people. Instead, they use fear to promote hate, misogyny, & homophobia. No one wins when gov'ts block efforts to fight violence against women & girls. euobserver.com/opinion/141235
