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Stronger steps by the EU to protect us

There’s a big shift happening in Europe that affects us directly: the EU is finally taking stronger steps to bring the principles of the Istanbul Convention into law. Let's see what this means for us, everyday women:


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What is the Istanbul Convention?

For those who may not be familiar, the Istanbul Convention is an international treaty dedicated to ending violence against women and domestic violence. It’s about prevention, protection, and prosecution—but most importantly, it’s about safety and dignity for all of us.

The Istanbul Convention, formally known as the Council of Europe Convention on preventing and combating violence against women and domestic violence, is an international treaty designed to combat and prevent violence against women and domestic violence.


So what does this mean for us, especially here in Belgium?

First, it means more protection. The EU wants to make sure every woman, no matter where she lives, has access to shelters, hotlines, counseling, and legal aid. In Belgium, while some of these services already exist, they’re often stretched thin. New EU legislation could reinforce these supports and ensure that they are available consistently and fairly.

Second, it means better prevention. Schools, workplaces, and public institutions will be pushed to step up education on gender equality and awareness about violence. This matters for our daughters, our sisters, and our friends—because prevention starts with changing mentalities and making sure abusive behavior is no longer tolerated or normalized.

It is about justice and accountability. Perpetrators of violence need to face real consequences. With the EU’s framework inspired by the Istanbul Convention, Belgium will be under stronger pressure to ensure police, courts, and social workers are trained and act quickly when women report abuse. No more stories of complaints being ignored. No more women falling through the cracks.

And sisters, this is also about solidarity across Europe. Women in Belgium will benefit, but so will women in every EU country. It’s about raising the standard so that we all know we are not alone, and that our rights and safety are non-negotiable.


First ever EU law

The EU has been quite active to implement these principles into its policies. On 7 May 2024 (Directive (EU) 2024/1385) it adopted a new Directive on combating violence against women and domestic violence, which aims to strengthen legal protections for victims and improve access to support services across EU member states. The EU now has the first ever law to effectively fight violence against women and domestic violence! Yay!

The Directive criminalises at EU level certain forms of violence against women offline and online, and requires Member States to put in place robust measures of prevention, measures to enhance protection and support of victims, measures to facilitate their access to justice, and measures of coordination and cooperation between authorities.

Plus, the EU has been funding projects and initiatives aimed at combating gender-based violence and supporting victims through programs such as the Rights, Equality, and Citizenship Programme.

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Recently, the Commission also launched the 'NON.NO.NEIN.' campaign that can help us to share information. To help spread the word, see the campaign videos below, which raise-awareness about violence against women. You can also download a range of visual materials featuring advice and best practices on the subject.

 



What’s next?

Of course, laws on paper are only one step. We still need to keep pushing, keep demanding better, and keep supporting each other. Change doesn’t happen overnight, but with the EU moving closer to fully embracing the Istanbul Convention, we are seeing the system move in our favour.

This is our moment to stay informed, speak out, and remind those in power: violence against women is not a private matter, it’s a societal issue. And every woman—whether in Brussels, Paris, Berlin, Bucharest or beyond—deserves to live free from fear.

Let’s hold on to that hope, and let’s hold each other up.

Cheers,

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