This Continent Wants to Be the First to “Eradicate” Violence Against Women

The European Union is set to extend its protections for women in a new law that will encompass gender-based violence, female genital mutilation, forced marriages, and online harassment.

“For the first time, the European Union sends a clear message that we take violence against women seriously as an existential threat to our security,” says EU lawmaker Frances Fitzgerald. “Today, we take the first step towards making Europe the first continent in the world to eradicate violence against women.”

Statistics from the European Council reveal that one in three women in Europe has experienced some physical or sexual violence, and 600,000 women have undergone female genital mutilation. This historic agreement is expected to protect women across all EU member states and will include both protection from and prevention of these crimes. It is also set to allow for easier reporting for victims. However, various advocacy officers have raised the issue that undocumented women are still unlikely to come forward as their immigration status will still be more important than what happened to them. Nonetheless, it seems the European Union is moving in the right direction to ensure women across the bloc have greater protections.