Dr Michelle Walsh elected to Council of Europe monitoring body on preventing and combatting violence against women
- Published on: 4 June 2026
- Last updated on: 4 June 2026
• Following a competitive national and international selection process, Dr Walsh has been elected to the Group of Experts on Action against Violence against Women and Domestic Violence.
• Minister Jim O’Callaghan welcomes the election of Dr Walsh, who is the CEO of Ireland’s national perpetrator intervention programme, MOVE Ireland.
04 June 2026
The Minister for Justice, Home Affairs and Migration, Jim O’Callaghan, has welcomed the election of Ireland’s candidate Dr Michelle Walsh to the Group of Experts on Action against Violence against Women and Domestic Violence (GREVIO).
GREVIO is the body of independent experts responsible for monitoring the implementation by the parties of the Council of Europe Convention on preventing and combating violence against women and domestic violence, also known as the Istanbul Convention.
Dr Walsh’s election follows a highly competitive contest held earlier this week at a meeting of the Committee of the Parties to the Istanbul Convention in Strasbourg.
Congratulating Dr Walsh on her election, Minister O’Callaghan said:
“I am very pleased to congratulate Dr Michelle Walsh on her election to the Group of Experts on Action against Violence against Women and Domestic Violence (GREVIO).
“This was an exceptionally competitive process. Dr Walsh’s election on the first count reflects the quality of her candidacy and the depth of her expertise and experience, most notably through her important work as CEO of MOVE Ireland, the national perpetrator programme. It also reflects Ireland’s strong international reputation in confronting domestic, sexual and gender-based violence.
“I would also like to acknowledge the important ongoing contribution of Ellen O’Malley Dunlop, who is currently serving on GREVIO until her term concludes in August. I want to thank her for her outstanding commitment and hard work; I know that she is very well-respected and was elected to serve as Vice-President of the Committee.
“The Istanbul Convention is a central pillar of Ireland’s approach to domestic, sexual and gender-based violence and underpins our Zero Tolerance strategy. Ireland’s strong representation and active participation on GREVIO demonstrates our sustained commitment to strengthening prevention, protection and accountability at both national and international level.”
Dr Walsh is Chief Executive Officer of Ireland’s national perpetrator intervention programme, MOVE Ireland, and brings more than 15 years’ experience in the field of domestic, sexual and gender-based violence (DSGBV).
A fully accredited psychotherapist, clinical supervisor and trainer, her work spans programme delivery, applied research, policy development, and system evaluation, and is informed by engagement at both national and European level, including as a board member on the European Network for the Work with Perpetrators of Domestic Violence. Alongside her practice and policy work, Dr Walsh has contributed to professional training and higher education in the field of DSGBV.
The Istanbul Convention creates a range of obligations on state parties in combatting gender-based violence. It is based on four pillars: prevention, protection, prosecution, and policy coordination. Ireland is a state party to the Convention and the Zero Tolerance Third National Strategy on Domestic, Sexual and Gender-Based Violence 2022-2026 is structured around the four pillars of the Convention.
ENDS///
Notes to Editor
- GREVIO is composed of independent experts with recognised expertise in human rights, gender equality, and responds to violence against women and domestic violence.
- The Committee of the Parties to the Convention elects the members and ensures a balanced participation of women and men and a geographical balance, as well as multidisciplinary expertise.
- Further details about GREVIO and the Committee of the Parties is available on the Council of Europe website https://www.coe.int/en/web/istanbul-convention/grevio
- Minister O’Callaghan approved the nomination of Dr Michelle Walsh as Ireland’s candidate for the 2026 GREVIO elections in February 2026 following an open call for expressions of interest and appraisal of submissions by a selection panel comprising senior Department officials and an external expert.
- The election was strongly contested, with five seats available; including three incumbents running for re-election. 39 state parties to the Convention voted on 15 candidates in total and, on 2 June, Dr Walsh was elected on the first count, securing the second highest number of votes overall, reflecting the strong regard in which her expertise is held internationally.
- The Council of Europe requires that members of GREVIO are chosen from among persons of high moral character, known for their recognised competence in the fields of human rights, gender equality, violence against women and domestic violence, assistance to and protection of victims, or having demonstrated professional experience in the areas covered by the Istanbul Convention.
