_xavier_lejeune_-_european_union,_2025__xlarge.jpg "A brighter future for Europe’s women?")
(c) Xavier Lejeune
A brighter future for Europe’s women?
Radio stations across Europe have been busy this week producing special coverage to mark the International Day for the Elimination of Violence Against Women.
Tuesday 25 November marked the start of 16 Days of Activism against Gender-Based Violence, a global movement that draws to a close on 10 December, Human Rights Day. We are taking this opportunity to highlight some of the coverage from around our network.
Brussels turns orange
European Commission spokesperson Eva Hrnčířová explains why Brussels turned orange earlier this week.
Eva Hrncirova, European Commission Spokesperson (in English):
“Gender-based violence is unacceptable, anywhere, every time, always. The European Union renews its determination to end all forms of violence against girls and women, and we ensure that every person can live without fear and harm. As in previous years, we are joining the UN campaign, Orange the World, as you can see. But also late tonight in the evening, the Commission building, the Berlaymont, will be illuminated in orange, which is a global symbol of the commitment to eliminate violence against women.”
In Estonia, Hannaliisa Uusma leads domestic violence prevention at the President Kaljulaid Foundation, an NGO that seeks to empower the vulnerable. She stresses that such violence can take many forms.
Hannaliisa Uusma, President Kaljulaid Foundation (in Estonian):
“Physical abuse is just one aspect of domestic violence. We can talk about psychological abuse, which can lead a person to suicide. There is a lot of psychological abuse. We can talk about cyber abuse, which is very common today, especially among younger generations. Stalking, harassment, manipulation – these things come through your smartphone every day and shape your identity. We can talk about economic abuse, which is a very big issue – the victim is made financially dependent on the perpetrator. In such cases, leaving an abusive relationship is extremely difficult. This is something that we should talk a lot more about. Banks should speak out more on this issue, implement measures when granting home loans, and generally be more aware of economic abuse.”
https://kuku.pleier.ee/uudised/koduvagivald-liigub-isegi-nutiseadmetesse-ja-kodulaenu-lepingutesse
Carmen Pérez-Pozo Toledano is a Spanish lawyer who specialises in property law, asset planning and female financial empowerment. esRadio Castilla y León asks her for an example of economic abuse.
Carmen Pérez-Pozo Toledano, Spanish Lawyer (in Spanish):
“Things that are so normal that we see them all the time. Things that are even socially accepted, like controlling what someone spends. [We often hear,] ‘My wife spends too much’. So, she is drip-fed money and is told what she can spend it on, or she isn’t allowed to work; isn’t given a say in the family finances...”
The EU stresses that economic autonomy is an essential pillar against gender violence. Pérez-Pozo is asked to what extent she thinks a lack of financial education contributes to this problem.
Carmen Pérez-Pozo Toledano, Spanish Lawyer (in Spanish):
“A great deal, but this affects women and men alike [...] There is a lack of emphasis on maths education in schools for those who struggle with it, focused specifically on teaching the maths that is the basis not only of everyday economics but also of technology. In a digital world, knowing how to calculate is essential. In addition, there are the names given to financial products. None of these mean anything to us. This, coupled with the fact that finances aren’t discussed in schools, or in public, makes us very vulnerable – not only to our partners, but also to financial products, to the bank manager, to the guy on social media claiming he got rich in a week...”
A focus on femicide?
On Tuesday, Italian MPs unanimously passed a law introducing the crime of femicide as an offence in its own right, reports Radio 24. An offence that carries a life sentence.
Samanta Cimolino is a psychologist within the scientific investigations group of the Carabinieri, Italy’s military police. She explains that her unit has drawn up an operational handbook containing best practices for use in cases of gender-based violence and with vulnerable victims.
Samanta Cimolino, Psychologist in the Carabinieri (in Italian):
“This move demonstrates that the protection of women is a specific and priority focus. I believe it is also a strong incentive, a strong signal, for women to choose the courage to report abuse over the fear associated with silence and suffering violence within the home.”
Following this latest legal move, Italy becomes one of just a handful of EU member states to have introduced a legal definition of femicide into their criminal codes. This will enable gender-related crimes to be recorded separately for statistical purposes. Elsewhere, these acts are often prosecuted – and recorded – as homicide, manslaughter, assault resulting in death, and so on, even if there is a gender dimension to them.
In Romania, where more than one woman a week is being killed, NGOs are pushing for a similar change in the law. In fact, a bill allowing for the possibility of punishing gender-related murders with life imprisonment went up for public consultation at the beginning of November, says Radio România.
Liberal senator Simona Spătaru of the Save Romanian Union, a party within the ruling coalition, explains why such a severe sentence is necessary.
Elena-Simona Spătaru, Romanian Senator (in Romanian):
“Sentences for such killings may amount to life in prison, as we’ve seen multiple cases where perpetrators are released after three to five years and go on to kill another woman, and then another.”
The 250 MPs who signed the bill are calling for it to be debated as a priority.
Are we making progress?
Cristina Fabré Rosell from the European Institute for Gender Equality tells France’s euradio that the Me Too movement has, as well as empowering women, made society more aware of the fact that much long-normalised behaviour is in fact a crime.
Cristina Fabré Rosell, European Institute for Gender Equality (in English):
“There are specific forms that are still normal, let's say. We have seen, for instance, crimes of sexual violence reported, but also intimate partner rape reported. So this also shows that rape in intimate relationships was normalised and was not described or sold as a crime. No, it was part of being in a relationship. So, we have seen a lot more awareness.”
In Bulgaria, a subject that was until recently brushed under the carpet is increasingly being forced out into the open by NGOs and the media, causing a public outcry.
In this Eastern European country, civil activism can be credited for a series of recent legal victories that will serve to benefit victims and potential future victims of domestic violence. Nadejda Dermendjieva, co-director of the Bulgarian Fund for Women, tells BNR about one recent, hard-won success.
Nadejda Dermendjieva, Co-Director of the Bulgarian Fund for Women (in Bulgarian):
“A few days ago, the government finally adopted a coordination mechanism to combat domestic violence. What does this mean? It means that Bulgaria finally has a protocol in place, and when a report of domestic violence or violence against women is filed, all the relevant authorities are informed right away. They must all follow this protocol, and the victim will not have to go from institution to institution, from desk to desk, being re-traumatised and having to relive their story not once, but several times over.”
There is, however, still work to be done.
Nadejda Dermendjieva, Co-Director of the Bulgarian Fund for Women (in Bulgarian):
“Bulgarian society is becoming increasingly intolerant of violence. But we still have work to do to ensure that institutions fully understand what a huge problem domestic violence is, both as a social problem and in terms of the consequences of, for example, a violated protection order.”
https://bnr.bg/varna/post/102245855/jeni
And on a related note, Austrian MEP Elisabeth Grossmann talks to Agora about the recent European Parliament vote, earlier this month, in favour of ensuring that all women in the EU have access to safe abortions.
Currently, many women are forced to travel abroad to access an abortion – and those who cannot afford to do so are forced to choose between continuing with a pregnancy and going down the far more unsafe, ‘backstreet’ route.
Elisabeth Grossmann, Member of the European Parliament – S&D, Austria (in German):
“Around 20 million women in Europe still do not have access to safe abortions and are forced to resort to dangerous alternatives, which result in many women dying or suffering serious health problems every year. This has led to the formation of a citizens' initiative called My Voice My Choice, which submitted a petition to the European Parliament. We voted on this petition in the Committee on Women's Rights and Gender Equality and achieved a majority in favour of ensuring that all women in the European Union have access to safe abortions in future. “
The issue remains extremely controversial, of course, and there were heated debates before this vote, with some bystanders even having to be ejected from the room for offensive heckling.
https://www.agora.at/news/detail/vive-leurope-56-my-voice-my-choice-za-varen-in-dostopen-splav
What more can be done?
On the International Day for the Elimination of Violence Against Women, 18 associations came together for a demonstration in Lisbon, reports Rádio Renascença.
Dejanira Vidal, the spokesperson for the initiative, insists that there is a good deal more that the Portuguese state must do to help victims.
Dejanira Vidal, Spokesperson for Lisbon’s March to End Violence Against Women (in Portuguese):
“We need more shelters to keep victims safe for a period, even though we insist that it must be the men, the perpetrators, who leave their homes, and not the women. We need more financial support for victims who want to leave but are struggling to do so in the current housing crisis. We need more financial support for organisations that work with victims of domestic violence. We really need a paradigm shift, and above all we need prevention. So we need feminist education in schools, and we need to educate young people about equality.”
Prevention does need to start at an early age, agrees Karin Prien, Germany’s federal minister for family affairs, whose comments are shared by AMS.
Karin Prien, Germany’s Federal Minister for Family Affairs (in German):
“And in the area of prevention in general, I am firmly convinced that we must involve other institutions besides the police and courts more closely in these prevention issues – namely schools and kindergartens. Other European countries already do this. I believe this situation is so pressing that we must start very early on to raise awareness in society that violence against women, violence against partners, is never an option. But while there is still much to be done, we have also made significant progress.”
https://www.euranetplus.de/2025/11/25/orange-the-world-gegen-gewalt-und-femizide/
And perhaps a critical thing is also to prevent backsliding – something that NGOs in Latvia are currently fighting to avoid.
The Istanbul Convention is a Council of Europe initiative that legally binds signatory states to implement policies to prevent domestic violence, protect victims and prosecute offenders. Latvia only ratified the convention in 2023, but last month its MPs voted to withdraw from it.
In the face of a political and public backlash, though, the country’s withdrawal is not yet finalised. In fact, the move has caused international consternation, and the president has sent the law back for reconsideration.
Iluta Lāce runs the MARTA Centre, a women's rights advocacy organisation located in Riga, providing a range of services to victims of domestic violence and human trafficking. While there is no official data on the impact of the Istanbul Convention on reports of domestic violence in Latvia, Lāce tells Latvijas Radio that it has clearly made a difference.
Iluta Lāce, Founder of the MARTA Centre (in Latvian):
“In the last two or three years, we have had a series of reforms, a series of amendments to laws, improvements to the criminal code. In the Administrative Law, we finally say that sexual harassment is a crime, and we should also work on this in the Criminal Code. There are many things still to be done. But the fact is that over the last two or three years, we have improved the legal protection of these victims. [...] The existence of this convention has accelerated the pace at which we provide protection and also expanded the range of services we offer. As a result, we at the MARTA Centre are seeing more victims seeking help. We are therefore seeing violence coming to the surface.”
One thing is for certain: this issue is definitely generating media attention – not least within the Euranet Plus network.