On Tuesday 25 November, the International Day for the Elimination of Violence against Women, the European Commission and the European Parliament organised a high-level event in Strasbourg on technology-facilitated gender based violence (TFGBV), which launched the annual international campaign ‘16 Days of Activism against Gender-Based Violence against Women and Girls’.
European Parliament Vice-President Christel Schaldemose (S&D, Danish) pointed out that digitalisation, although often perceived as progress, also exposes women to increased forms of violence. For millions of women and girls, “the digital world is not just a place of opportunity, but a place where harassment, threats and manipulation are inescapable”.
She also sounded the alarm over the explosion in pornographic deepfakes, “98% of which target women”, before noting that the 2024 directive (see EUROPE 13431/33) on combating violence against women now criminalises cyberbullying, cyberstalking and the non-consensual dissemination of intimate images.
The European Commission’s Executive Vice-President Henna Virkkunen noted the key role of the Digital Services Act (DSA). The fact that the very large platforms will now have to reduce systemic risks, demonstrate greater transparency and protect minors is a key condition, in her view, to allow “every LGBTQ+ woman, girl and person to be able to participate without fear in digital life”.
The Commissioner for Equality, Hadja Lahbib, has pointed the finger at an “epidemic” of violence facilitated by artificial intelligence, in particular sexual deepfakes generated in a matter of seconds, and has denounced the “dangerous normalisation” of such abuse, which, in her view, is only reinforced by the fact that criminal prosecution is weak. The directive adopted in 2024 creates a common European framework, but its effectiveness will depend on its transposition in the Member States by 2027.
The fight against violence against women was also on the agenda of the plenary session of the European Parliament.
Eleonora Meleti (EPP, Greek) noted that violence against women is the result of long-lasting stereotypes that consign women to silence, patience or staying at home, which make them “less capable”.
MEPs also denounced the scale of the scourge in Europe. Iratxe García Pérez (S&D, Spanish) reiterated that this was “a European emergency”. She called for femicide to be recognised, for rape to become a criminal offence recognised at EU level and for it to be added to the list of ‘Eurocrimes’ in Article 83 TFEU.
Manon Aubry (The Left, French) pointed out that most violence is committed in the private sphere.
Terry Reintke (Greens/EFA, German) urged Member States to fully implement the Istanbul Convention and furthermore, to denounce the attacks on this treaty in certain countries.
According to Abir Al-Sahlani (Renew Europe, Swedish), “gender-based violence is men’s problem”, also calling on men to question their behaviour, to speak out and to stop remaining silent in the face of violence. Assita Kanko (ECR, Belgian) pointed out that women and girls are still victims of genital mutilation. (Original version in French by Nithya Paquiry)