European Institute for Gender Equality Launches Anti-Femicide Campaign

European Institute for Gender Equality Launches Anti-Femicide Campaign

November 25th marks International Day for the Elimination of Violence against Women. According to the European Institute for Gender Equality (EIGE) 444 women across 10 EU member states were killed by their intimate partners in 2020.

To mark the day, the EIGE has issued a pack called Femicide: Name it, count it, end it! to all EU countries to assist them in gathering solid data to prevent femicide.

Femicide is the killing of women and girls because of their gender. It can include intentional homicides, such as the killing of women by their current or former partners, as well as unintentional killings, such as the death of a woman undergoing an unsafe abortion.

The Institute is calling for the building of a common understanding of what counts as a femicide. The pack contains information to help countries identify the different forms of femicide. It includes a classification system, as well as guidance on how to identify the ‘gender dimension’ of a female homicide.

While no EU Member State currently has a legal definition of femicide, some countries do recognise gendered motivations behind killings of women in their laws, for example because of hatred on the grounds of her sex. This has allowed EIGE to assess the different ways EU countries measure femicide and provide recommendations on how to drive improvements.

A statement from the EIGE says, “A common EU-wide definition of femicide would help EU Member States identify these gender-based killings, which currently vanish into female homicide statistics. Knowing the motivations and circumstances that lie behind the killing of women and girls can help EU governments better protect potential victims, as well as punish and deter perpetrators.”

In order to achieve this, the EIGE believes comparable date to properly measure femicide is required.

The statement says, “The more data we have about the killings of women and girls, the more likely it is that we will be able to correctly identify femicides. And the more EU countries collect the same type of data, the more information we have on the motivations and circumstances behind these killings.”

To raise awareness about violence against women and kick-off a ‘16 Days of Activism Against Gender-Based Violence’ campaign, important buildings around the world will be lit up in orange. Europe House in Vilnius turns orange today to mark the International Day for the Elimination of Violence Against Women. In Brussels, the European Commission, the Council of the European Union, the European Parliament and the European External Action Service will also be lit up in orange.  The theme of this year’s campaign is “Orange the World: End violence against women now!”

Image by Alex Green/Via Pexels.com/https://www.pexels.com/license/

newsletter
Join our mailing list and never miss an update !
EU Introduces Rules to Help Companies Comply with Greenwashing Ban

EU Introduces Rules to Help Companies Comply with Greenwashing Ban

The European Parliament Internal Market and Environment committees have reached agreement with the EU Commission on how companies can validate their environmental marketing claims. The so-called green claims directive complements

Is Paris poised to make new strides in tobacco control in 2024?

Is Paris poised to make new strides in tobacco control in 2024?

When France unveiled a new tobacco control plan late last year, anti-smoking campaigners were quick to caution that despite the promising-sounding headlines—“from now on, no-smoking areas will be the norm,”

Move to End Impunity for Non-Resident Drivers Across EU Member States

Move to End Impunity for Non-Resident Drivers Across EU Member States

The EU Transport and Tourism Committee has adopted draft new rules to end the impunity of non-resident drivers and improve road safety. Under the current rules, if a driver commits