EWLA encourages the EU legislative bodies to implement the standards of the Istanbul Convention as a legal basis for a holistic and victim-centred EU Directive preventing and combatting all forms of gender-based violence, both online and offline.

In a draft legislative initiative report which was endorsed by two committees on Wednesday 13 July, the MEPs demanded targeted legislation and policies. The MEPs stated that the draft legislation should be aimed at addressing the situation of violence and discrimination based on their gender, not only against women and girls but also LGBTIQ+ persons, and/or any other trait that could be used to target them offline or online.

Gender-based violence refers to harmful acts directed at an individual based on their gender. It is a serious violation of human rights and a life-threatening health and protection issue. Femicide is stated as the most extreme form of gender based violence against women and girls.

EWLA urges the EU legislative bodies to establish under the third paragraph of Article 83(1) TFEU a legal basis for a EU Directive preventing and combating all forms of violence while implementing the standards of the Istanbul Convention and other international standards.

EWLA President Katharina Miller states: “It would be a huge step forward in the fight against gender based violence if an EU-wide Directive preventing and combating all forms of violence was adopted. We have seen that general laws to combat gender based violence are not enough. We need to harmonise the standards in the EU in order to be better able to protect the victims of gender based violence, offline or online. To be safe from gender based violence is a basic human right, therefore it should be a priorty to draft effective legislation to prevent such violence.”