The WAVE Network warns that democracy and civic freedoms in Europe are under mounting attack. Smear campaigns, restrictive laws, financial insecurity, and the rise of anti-rights movements threaten the independence of civil society—especially feminist organisations and women’s human rights defenders. To protect democracy, equality, and fundamental rights, the EU must match bold principles with concrete action.
Earlier this month, the Women Against Violence Europe (WAVE) Network submitted its recommendations to the European Commission’s consultation on the forthcoming EU Civil Society Strategy. Our submission highlights the urgent need for a robust framework that not only protects civic space but also sustains the organisations defending rights and freedoms across Europe.
Civil society is the backbone of European democracy, providing essential services, advocacy, and watchdog functions where states fall short. Yet across the EU and its neighbourhood, organisations face growing hostility and shrinking space. Feminist CSOs, in particular, are under pressure even as they remain at the frontlines of defending women’s rights, advancing gender equality, and responding to crises such as war and displacement.
WAVE calls on the European Commission to adopt a robust Civil Society Strategy that:
- Ensures inclusion and equal protection for organisations inside and outside the EU.
- Explicitly protects civic space and the safety of human rights defenders.
- Embeds structured, long-term dialogue with civil society at all levels of EU policy.
- Guarantees sustainable, flexible, and ring-fenced funding for feminist and minority-led organisations.
- Recognises advocacy as a protected activity at the heart of democracy.
To read WAVE’s full submission, please click here.
Sincerely,
the WAVE Network
