R5: No more victims: stop femicide in Europe

The Istanbul Convention condemnsand the EU 2024 Gender-Based Violence Directive condemn all forms of violence against women and calls for special measures and legislation to prevent and protect women from gender-based violence.[1] However, asGender-related killings are the most brutal and extreme manifestation of violence against women and girls. Even though femicide is not mentioned explicitly in the Convention, the European Greens are callingwant to amendremind and highlight that the Istanbul Convention to include gender-related killings ascovers it under the most brutal and extreme manifestationcriminalising of physical violence against women and girls and elaborate urgentthe obligation of immediate response, prevention and adequate measures to stop femicide worldwideprotection. Furthermore, theThe European Greens are calling upon European governments uphold the clear obligation of the Convention to combat femicide, in particular by introducing it as a specific crime in their criminal codes and take urgent actionsby urgently adopting and implementing adequate measures on prevention, protection and reporting.

The Istanbul Convention condemns all forms of violence against women and calls for special measures and legislation to prevent and protect women from gender-based violence.[1] However, as femicide is not mentioned in the Convention, the European Greens are calling to amend the Istanbul Convention to include gender-related killings as the most brutal and extreme manifestation of violence against women and girls and elaborate urgent and adequate measures to stop femicide worldwide. Furthermore, the European Greens are calling upon European governments to combat femicide and [1] Even though the term femicide is not mentioned in the Convention, the European Greens empasize that gender-related killings are covered under the criminalisation of physical violence (Article 50). We therefore call upon European governments to combat femicide as the most brutal and extreme manifestation of violence against women and girls and to take urgent actions on prevention, protection and reporting.

Femicide was recognised for the first time at United Nations level in 2013 through the Declaration of Vienna. The declaration identifies a long list of different types of femicide such as killing of women and girls in the name of “honour”, because of sexual orientation, as targets in armed conflicts, or due to accusation of witchcraft, to name a few. Femicide is driven by discrimination against women and girls, unequal power relations, stereotypes and harmful social norms. Numbers are rising worldwide. Women in the public eye, such as politicians, activists and journalists, are often targets of online and offline violence.

Femicide was recognised for the first time at United Nations level in 2013 through the Declaration of Vienna. The declaration identifies a long list of different types of femicide such as killing of women and girls in the name of “honour”, because of sexual orientation, as targets in armed conflicts, or due to accusation of witchcraft, to name a few. Femicide is driven by discrimination against women and girls, unequal power relations, stereotypes and harmful social norms. Numbers are rising worldwide. Women in the public eye, such as politicians, activists and journalists, are often targets of online and offline violence. Women from specific communities face an even higher risk, such as racialised women, working class women, LGBTIQ women, women with disabilities, women living in institutional care, migrant and undocumented women and young women and girls.

Against the background of rising numbers, we deplore the withdrawal of Turkey from the Convention and the Latvian Parliament recently voting to do the same. Efforts to eradicate gender-based violence are often contested or weakened by misusing tradition, culture and religion and by spreading fundamentalist, populist or far right ideologies spreading and false narratives and disinformation.

Unfortunately, there is no standard definition of femicide agreed between member states of the Council of Europe. The lack of a uniform definition is an obstacle to measuring femicide, which therefore risks becoming invisible in general homicide data. The definition must reflect the diversity of victims and recognise killings motivated by gender identity, sexuality, or gender expression as part of the same phenomenon.

Femicide is predictable in most cases and could be prevented if early signs are detected and measures taken. Femicide is often preceded by other forms of partner violence by a partner or former partner such as physical abuse, controlling behaviour, coercion, and stalking. In our view,We urge the Council of Europe Member States should implement
to implement adequate measures against potential(potential) perpetrators and provide safety measures for victimspotential and actual victims as well as children and other family members or persons in their care.

Gender-based violence underscores the disparities faced by women, particularly in terms of their safety and psychological and physical integrity. These disparities are linked to their condition as “second-class citizens”. The fight against femicide must be multifaceted, encompassing the fight against all discrimination against women, whether in terms of equality in the workplace, activism, access to healthcare, etc. Progress to reach gender equality in Europe is slow. The European Union’s knowledge centre on Gender Equality (EIGE) estimates that at the current pace, gender equality – as per gender equality index – will not be reached before 2080!

Gender-based violence underscores the disparities faced by women, particularly in terms of their safety and psychological and physical integrity, increased by the fact that they are more vulnerable to poverty. These disparities are linked to their condition as “second-class citizens”. Progress to reach gender equality in Europe is slow. The European Union’s knowledge centre on Gender Equality (EIGE) estimates that at the current pace, gender equality – as per gender equality index – will not be reached before 2080!

Gender-based violence underscores the disparities faced by women, particularly in terms of their safety and psychological and physical integrity. These disparities are linked to their condition as “second-class citizens”. Progress to reach gender equality in Europe is slow. The European Union’s knowledge centre on Gender Equality (EIGE) estimates that at the current pace, gender equality – as per gender equality index – will not be reached before 2080!

Additionally, The European Greens strongly support the full ratification and implementation of the Istanbul Convention, recognizing it as the most comprehensive legal instrument to combat violence against women, including femicide. However, the Convention has become the subject of intense political and public debate in countries like Latvia, with opponents often citing concerns that are based in desinformation. The European Greens are deeply concerned that the Convention’s core mission of protecting women and girls is being instrumentalized and manipulated for political ends in these discussions.

Gender-based violence underscores the disparities faced by women, particularly in terms of their safety and psychological and physical integrity. These disparities are linked to their conditionthe discrimination and violence that women suffer for being women and them being often considered as “second-class citizens”. Progress to reach gender equality in Europe is slow. The European Union’s knowledge centre on Gender Equality (EIGE) estimates that at the current pace, gender equality – as per gender equality index – will not be reached before 2080!