As we mark International Women’s Day in this year of Beijing +30, WAVE reaffirms its commitment to advancing the rights of women and girls, particularly through our core work in supporting women’s specialist services for survivors of gender-based violence against women (GBVAW).
The Beijing Platform for Action (BPfA) set a bold vision for gender equality in 1995. While significant progress has been made in the past 30 years, gender discrimination persists, democratic institutions are threatened, and anti-rights actors actively undermine advancements. EIGE’s latest Gender Equality Index reveals the stark reality: violence against women remains widespread, underreported, and deeply rooted in control, dominance, and inequality across the EU.
While WAVE’s core mission remains focused on preventing and combating violence against women and ensuring access to protection and justice for survivors, we recognise that this fight is deeply interconnected with broader systemic challenges that shape women’s lives. Therefore, we want to emphasise that achieving a truly gender-equal world is both possible and within our reach. However, realising this vision requires more than just decisive action; it demands that we continuously challenge our gender stereotypes and assumptions about women’s roles in society, actively support the vital work of feminist civil society organisations, and dismantle the ingrained inequalities that perpetuate gender-based violence in all its forms.
The Beijing +30 Action Agenda presents a crucial opportunity to renew our collective dedication to women’s rights and gender equality. This March 8th, we stand with feminist movements worldwide, urging decisive action on the Agenda’s priorities. Therefore, until March 15th, WAVE will showcase its commitment to these priorities, highlighting our work in key areas within the BPfA:
Strengthening Legal Protections against GBVAW:
While significant legislative progress has been made to combat violence against women and domestic violence worldwide, with the number of countries with
legal sanctions against domestic violence increasing from 12 in 1995 to almost all countries today, gaps remain—especially in ensuring the safety of women and their children is at the core of all proceedings. Particularly in cases addressing custody and visitation rights, authorities consistently fail to address intimate partner violence against women and their children. As a result, children are often forced to maintain contact with a violent father, while the judiciary systematically overlooks the history of abuse.
Take Action: Advocate for stronger legal protections in your community.
Access to Services & Bridging the Digital Gap:
The Beijing Platform called for essential services for survivors. Access to reliable information on these services is just as critical as their existence.
To address this, WAVE maintains the only European database of women’s specialist services, which has recently been updated, ensuring survivors can easily find support.
Explore: Use and share our updated database to connect survivors with vital services.
Youth Engagement:
Recognising the importance of intergenerational dialogue, WAVE’s Youth Ambassadors Programme amplifies the voices of young feminists and ensures their
perspectives shape the feminist movement moving forward. Younger generations stand on the shoulders of the groundbreaking advancements made by feminist leaders 30 years ago, while also introducing new approaches, priorities, and strategies.
Listen and Learn: Tune in to our Youth Ambassadors’ podcast episode to gain insights and inspiration.
Changing Social Norms & Investing in Primary Prevention:
While challenging stereotypes and harmful practices remains crucial, with EIGE reporting that a worrying 17% of people believe women often exaggerate claims of
sexual abuse or rape, the dominant approach to violence against women prevention still focuses almost entirely on responding to violence after it has happened. WAVE advocates for a paradigm shift: investing in Primary Prevention strategies that mobilise societies to stop VAW before it occurs, ultimately saving lives and reducing costs.
Engage: Read our Primary Prevention publication and advocate for proactive prevention strategies in your community.
Women, Peace & Security:
Despite progress in integrating women into peacebuilding efforts, women in conflict zones continue to face immense risks. Forced recruitment, displacement, and
widespread sexual violence remain harsh realities. WAVE recognises that gender-based violence escalates during conflict. To reduce GBV in wartime, we must address it in peacetime—when systemic change is more achievable. To support these efforts, WAVE has developed a toolkit and training manual to help prevent and respond to GBV in conflict and post-conflict settings.
Educate Yourself: Explore our toolkit and training manual on our website
to better understand and address GBV in conflict and post-conflict settings.
We also recognise the interconnectedness of our mission with broader priorities outlined in the Platform, such as advancing women’s leadership in decision-making, achieving sustainable economic development, and striving for climate justice. While these areas are not our core focus, they undeniably impact the realities of the women we serve. Women’s leadership, particularly from feminist civil society organisations, shapes the policies that address gender-based violence, while sustainable economic development and climate justice are critical factors influencing the pressures families face, including increased domestic violence and barriers to women’s access to paid work.
WAVE acknowledges the importance of these priorities and supports efforts to address them, as they are essential to creating a world where women and children can thrive free from violence. EIGE’s findings underscore the urgency of our mission. With 31% of women in the EU experiencing physical and/or sexual violence since age 15, and support services falling far short of recommended levels, we must act now to ensure that no woman is left behind.
Join us from March 8th to 15th as we delve deeper into these critical areas and highlight the vital role of feminist civil society organisations like WAVE in making gender equality a reality.
The Women Against Violence Europe (WAVE) Network
Photo by Getty Images on Unsplash
