Gender-based violence remains a major problem in the European Union, despite legislative progress in the area of equality between men and women. This observation was at the heart of discussions in the European Parliament’s Committee on Women’s Rights and Gender Equality (FEMM) on Monday 30 September, which welcomed two members of the European Institute for Gender Equality’s expert forum, Edit Bauer and Niall Crowley.
To illustrate the scale of the phenomenon - which also exists online, particularly against women in positions of power, as Veronika Cifrová (Renew Europe, Slovak) pointed out - Ms Bauer said that in Slovakia, where she is from, 50% of women have been victims of gender-based violence. She also pointed out that the Covid-19 pandemic had worsened the situation, increasing the economic cost to society. A “surprising” cost: in 2021, EIGE estimated the cost of violence against women in the EU at €366 billion per year.
Gathering data is a key challenge if we are to better understand and combat this violence. Elena Kountoura MEP (The Left, Greek) noted that many Member States do not systematically share their data with the European institutions, which makes it harder to develop effective policies. Niall Crowley added that “in the absence of data, it is impossible to formulate adequate responses to this violence”.
On this issue, Edit Bauer warned against the temptation to target specific groups, particularly in speeches linking immigration and insecurity. “Violence also affects highly educated people and impacts all social groups”, she said, pointing out that this violence is a pervasive social pathology, regardless of class or origin.
As far as legislative tools are concerned, although the Istanbul Convention was ratified by the EU in 2023, not all Member States, such as Slovakia, as Edit Bauer pointed out, have followed suit, which limits its impact.
The very recent European directive to combat violence against women (see EUROPE 13431/33) is a step in the right direction, according to Ms Bauer. Its application remains uncertain, but the transposition period in the Member States could harmonise efforts and strengthen shelter facilities for victims.
In addition, education was identified by the experts as an effective tool to break the cycle of gender-based violence and enable people to speak out. Some speakers, such as Alessandra Moretti (S&D, Italian) and Mélissa Camara (Greens/EFA, French), called for compulsory lessons on emotional and sexual relationships from an early age. These practices have already proved effective in some countries, but need to be reinforced by the media and families, according to Edit Bauer and Niall Crowley.
The experts said political commitment was a key factor in ensuring that the laws are rigorously applied. Mr Crowley stressed that the implementation of the directives on gender equality and gender violence “must be actively supported by governments and institutions”. (Original version in French by Nithya Paquiry)