One in three women in Europe has experienced gender-based violence, the European Commission said Tuesday.
In a statement issued on the International Day for the Elimination of Violence Against Women, the Commission highlighted that many women have suffered sexual harassment at work or had violent partners during their lifetime. The data, drawn from the most comprehensive EU-wide survey ever conducted on the issue, shows that 33% of women aged 18–74 have faced physical, sexual, or psychological violence, including domestic abuse. One in five has experienced domestic violence from a partner or household member, and one in six has been a victim of sexual violence.
“When you take into account that this violence continues to be under-reported, these numbers make for even more grim reading – this violence must stop,” the statement said.
The Commission pointed to ongoing EU efforts to protect survivors, including expanding the number of shelters, maintaining 24/7 helplines, and creating safer, more accessible reporting mechanisms, especially for online forms of violence.
Significant legal progress has been made in recent years. In May 2024, the European Union adopted its first comprehensive law on violence against women and domestic violence – the Directive on Combating Violence against Women and Domestic Violence. The directive criminalises female genital mutilation, forced marriage, cyberstalking, cyber-harassment, and the non-consensual sharing of intimate images across all 27 member states. It also introduces minimum standards for victim support, easier online reporting, and child-sensitive procedures. Member states have until mid-2027 to transpose the rules into national law.
A new EU Gender Equality Strategy, scheduled for presentation in early 2026, will place the elimination of all forms of violence against women and girls at its very core, the Commission announced.
European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen underlined on social media that passing laws last year was only the beginning. “To ensure every woman can live without fear,” she wrote, pledging continued action at EU level.
EU High Representative Kaja Kallas also took to the platform X, stating that gender-based violence has no place in a free and equal society. “No woman or girl should have to live in fear,” she wrote, calling for an end to all forms of violence and reaffirming every woman’s right to live in safety and dignity.
In a visible show of solidarity, the EU Council’s Berlaymont building in Brussels was illuminated orange on Monday evening, joining the global “Orange the World” campaign led by UN Women to mark the start of the 16 Days of Activism against Gender-Based Violence (25 November – 10 December). The European Parliament buildings in Brussels and Strasbourg followed suit, bathing their façades in the campaign’s signature colour that symbolises a brighter future free from violence.
The announcements come against the backdrop of growing concern over digital forms of abuse. This year’s UNiTE campaign focuses on ending online violence against women and girls, an issue that has surged across Europe alongside rising misogyny on social-media platforms.
Despite the new laws and increased funding for shelters and helplines, gaps remain. Healthcare responses are still inadequate in many countries, and under-reporting continues to obscure the true scale of the problem. Civil-society organisations have called for the upcoming 2026–2030 Gender Equality Strategy to address root causes such as the gender care gap and economic dependency that leave many women trapped in abusive situations.
As the orange lights faded over Brussels, the message from EU leaders was clear: legislation is a crucial step, but lasting change requires cultural transformation, sustained funding, and unwavering political will across the continent.
