Ending this requires action. The EU is taking concrete steps, from prevention and protection to enforcement and accountability. With the EU’s accession to the Istanbul Convention and the adoption of the first-ever EU law to combat violence against women and domestic violence, the EU is establishing a comprehensive framework to fight gender-based violence.

Gender-based violence online harms women, silences their voices, and threatens our democratic values. Our Directive combatting violence against women explicitly criminalises the most widespread forms of gender-based online violence such as sharing intimate images without consent, deepfakes, cyberstalking, online harassment, and online incitement to violence and hatred based on gender. It also ensures that publicly accessible illegal content online is promptly removed. For survivors of any form of violence against women and domestic violence, the law provides stronger protection and support. We call on all EU Member States to transpose this Directive into national law swiftly, so that women and girls everywhere in our Union can be safer, both online and offline.

Eradicating gender-based violence is essential. In our Roadmap for Women’s Rights, we placed ‘Freedom from gender-based violence’ as the first principle, and we will carry this priority into the upcoming Gender Equality Strategy 2026–2030. Through the EU Strategy for a more effective fight against child sexual abuse and our legislative proposals to criminalise all forms of child sexual abuse and to ensure that online platforms better shield children from sexual abuse, we are stepping up efforts to protect every child, especially girls, who are disproportionately affected.

Our efforts do not stop at Europe’s borders. The EU works globally to end sexual and gender-based violence, partnering with governments, UN agencies, civil society, women’s rights organisations, peacebuilders and human rights defenders. Through actions like the Spotlight Initiative and the EU–UN Women ACT Programme, we are investing in real change. We will continue to implement the Women, Peace and Security Agenda fully as to build a world where women can live safely and girls can grow up without fear in every community, and in every digital space.”