This brochure of the Council of Europe provides answers on questions about the Convention on Preventing and Combating Violence against Women and Domestic Violence (the Istanbul Convention). Since 2014, the Istanbul Convention is a European legal instrument to prevent and combat violence against women and domestic violence as a violation of human rights. The publication describes the aims of the Istanbul Convention, its added value and its application. It also explains the Convention's notion of 'gender-based' violence, eliminating gender stereotypes in education and the non-discrimination principle regarding gender identity.