EIGE’s research shows the many ways digital technologies are benefiting young people in access to learning, friendship, information and actions for social change. It also shows that aggressive behaviour online is anticipated and normalised. For the EU to harness the potential of digital technologies for youth mobilisation, diminishing the power of gender stereotypes online and promoting the diversity of voices, opinions and gender identity are essential.
Femicide, commonly understood as the killing of a woman or girl because of her gender, is the most extreme form of gender-based violence, deeply rooted in the inequalities between men and women in society. It is estimated that, globally, around 47 000 women and girls were killed by their intimate partners or other family members in 2020, and around 2 600 were killed in Europe (UNODC, 2021a).
In the annual European Parliament FEMM committee conference in Brussels, EIGE Director Carlien Scheele presented its 2023 work programme, outlining key thematic priorities and upcoming milestones.
Femicide continues to be widespread around the globe. In 2020 the global estimation of femicide shows that 47 000 women were killed by intimate partners or other family members worldwide and around 2 600 in Europe. However, the number of victims is in fact much higher. Orphaned children, bereaved parents and siblings of murdered women are rarely considered as direct victims.
Female genital mutilation (FGM) is a severe form of gender-based violence, that violates the human rights of women and girls. The practice entails “all procedures that involve the partial or total removal of the external female genitalia, or other injury to the female genital organs for non-medical reasons". Globally, over 200 million women and girls in 31 countries have been subjected to FGM.
Digital platforms have often been celebrated for allowing equal opportunities for public self-expression, regardless of one’s identity and status. Yet, not everyone is welcome in the cyberspace. The digital arena has become a breeding ground for a range of exclusionary and violent discourses and beliefs, expressed and disseminated in a context of anonymity and impunity. Both women and men can be victims of cyber violence.
The European Institute for Gender Equality (EIGE) broadly defines femicide as ‘the killing of a woman or girl because of her gender’. EIGE recognises the various forms of femicide committed against women and girls as ‘the most severe manifestation of gender-based violence’. Various terms are used by the European Union (EU) and international institutions to refer to femicide. As the definitions used to describe acts of femicide are either lacking or inconsistent across the EU, methods for researching the prevalence of femicide vary, as does the administrative capacity of Member States to collect this data.
For the first time ever, EIGE’s Gender Equality Index shows signs of a worsening situation for women in many areas of work and home life. By addressing these rising inequalities today, we can build a stronger economy that benefits everyone, regardless of gender.
The European Institute for Gender Equality has released a new report ‘Combating cyber violence against women and girls’ which underlines the urgent need to develop and adopt harmonised and mutually exclusive definitions of cyber violence against women and girls and its forms.
