The European People’s Party (EPP):

• Observes with grave concern the alarming rise of politically motivated violence against women in European countries, fueled by polarization, disinformation, misogyny, and authoritarian practices, which undermine both stability and democracy;

• Notes that women in politics, journalism, and public life are disproportionately targeted by violence, including physical aggression, threats against their families, psychological harassment, and economic coercion. Attacks frequently take the form of sexual humiliation, misogynistic slurs, sexualized abuse, cyber harassment, online and offline bullying, and threats of rape or death;

• Underlines that women in politics are more exposed to all forms of violence than men, as confirmed by the Council of Europe/IPU study (2018) and PACE Resolution 2480 (2023) on Men and Boys in Preventing Violence Against Women;

• Raises concern that these practices create a chilling effect: women often refrain from expressing opinions or withdraw from public life due to fear of reprisals or online hate campaigns;

• Emphasizes that the continuation of such attacks risks driving away women from participating in the democratic process;

• Recalls SDG Goal 5, which states that achieving gender equality and empowering all women and girls is essential for sustainable development;

• Highlights with alarm that, according to the EU Agency for Fundamental Rights, one in three women in Europe has experienced gender-based violence;

• Expresses deep concern over the rise of authoritarian practices, physical threats, misogynistic and graphic violence in several European countries, among them Albania and Georgia, where women politicians, journalists, and activists face systemic physical attacks, intimidation, harassment, and persecution, in violation of the European Convention on Human Rights (Articles 3, 5, 6, and 8) and the Council of Europe Convention on Preventing and Combating Violence against Women and Domestic Violence (Istanbul Convention, CETS No. 210).

Note: detailed cases in Annex 1 of the attached report on Violence Against Women in Politics and Public Life in Europe.

Call for Action

The EPP calls upon the EPP Member Parties and the European institutions to:

1. Endorse this resolution and reaffirm that violence against women in politics is a direct attack on democracy;

2. Condemn all forms of violence and intimidation against women in politics;

3. Adopt zero-tolerance policies on political violence against women; establish internal reporting and monitoring mechanisms; and create support structures for women within political parties; investigate and prosecute perpetrators;

4. Secure women’s safety in politics within the EU as well as in the EU enlargement countries and international cooperation frameworks, supporting the European Commission’s Roadmap for Women’s Rights (2025) and the European Democracy Shield;

5. Implement the four pillars—prevention, protection, prosecution, and policy coordination—as set out by the OSCE Toolkit (2022) and in line with the Istanbul Convention;

6. Ensure equal representation of women and men in political lists, leadership positions, and delegations, with oversight mechanisms to monitor violence against women in politics;

7. Advocate for ratification and implementation of the Istanbul Convention across all European Member States, as well as for the implementation of EU Directive 1385 of 14 May 2024 on combating violence against women and domestic violence; recognize femicide as the most extreme form of gender-based violence and urge European institutions and national governments to adopt comprehensive strategies for its prevention, investigation, and prosecution, ensuring that no case of femicide remains unpunished;

8. Organize awareness campaigns, such as the United Nations “16 Days of Activism against Violence” campaign between 25 November (International Day for the Elimination of Violence against Women) and 10 December (Human Rights Day);

9. Promote awareness, education, and responsible media practices to counter misogyny, hate speech, and gender-based disinformation, as outlined in the Council of Europe Recommendation on Hate Speech (2022);

10. Protect women’s rights defenders and female political leaders, in line with PACE Resolution 2554 (2024) and UN CEDAW General Recommendation 35 (2017);

11. Address digital violence and disinformation targeting women in politics by integrating specific measures into EU and national cybersecurity, digital governance, and media literacy strategies; ensure legal accountability for online violence including hate speech, coordinated harassment, and gender-based threats;

12. Provide adequate funding and protection measures—including legal aid, psychological support, and security measures—for women in politics, journalism, and civil society who face threats.

Conclusion

Violence against women in politics and public life is not an individual tragedy but an assault on democracy.

From Finland to Greece and from Albania to Georgia, women leaders—alongside women journalists and activists—face threats, harassment, and intimidation. These cases confirm a dangerous regional trend, where misogyny, political repression, and criminal collusion converge to erode democracy.

The EPP calls on all European institutions and political actors to act decisively—through prevention, protection, prosecution, and policy reform—to ensure that women in politics and public life can speak, decide, and lead, free from fear, harassment, and violence.