Whose Safety Matters? Women, Domestic Abuse and the Hague Convention Across Borders

The Hague Convention is often presented as a neutral legal framework designed to resolve international child abduction cases. Yet for many women affected by domestic abuse, migration and cross-border families, the reality is very different. This webinar explores two seemingly opposite experiences. In Turkey, migrant women become trapped in a foreign country, isolated from family, support networks and services, while facing domestic abuse and the threat of losing their children. In Lithuania, local mothers can find themselves losing custody and contact with their children to foreign fathers, despite remaining in their own country. Through these contrasting experiences, we will explore the common patterns that emerge when women's safety, children's wellbeing and international family law collide.

Programme
16:00 – 16:10 FiLiA Hague Mothers
Welcome and short introduction to the The Hague Convention

16:10 – 16:25 Mor Çatı (Turkey)
Foreign Mothers, Foreign Systems
Through women's stories and frontline experience, Mor Çatı will explore how migrant women become trapped in abusive situations in Turkey where they have limited support, insecure status and very few options for safety. The session will examine the role the Hague Convention plays in trapping mothers, legal processes that restrict women's choices and the challenges of providing support within existing systems.

16:25 - 16:35 Q&A

16:35 – 16:50 Veda Vidus - Klaipeda’s Social and Psychological Support Center (Lithuania)
Local Mothers, International Custody Battles
While remaining in their own country, some Lithuanian mothers find themselves engaged in cross-border disputes with foreign fathers that can result in the loss of custody, contact and security. This session will explore these experiences and the challenges women face when international family law intersects with domestic abuse and child protection concerns, and how our own countries often fail to protect our own citizens.

16:50 - 17:00 Q&A

17:00 – 17:15 Mor Çatı (Turkey)
Feminist Solidarity Across Borders
What can women's organisations, activists and communities do to support mothers and children affected by these injustices?

17:15 – 17:30
Audience Questions and Closing Remarks