Revision of victims' rights directive - Related Opinions

The opinion expresses the views of the EU organized civil society on the priorities to the sixty-ninth session of the Commission on the Status of Women (UNCSW69). It calls for an increased pace of progress on gender equality, be more vocal about the shrinking space for civil society and block any backlash against women’s rights. Some challenges to be addressed include attracting more women to politics, addressing violence against women, ensuring a gender-equal just transition, closing the gender digital gap and the unpaid care responsibilities and ensuring women stay in the labour market.

This own-initiative opinion stresses that any kind of violence against women is a violation of women’s human rights. The EESC believes Directive 2024/1385/EU on combating violence against women and domestic violence should address all forms of violence against women and calls for sexual violence and rape to be included as a form of violence and criminalised based on the absence of consent. Highlights that any kind of violence against women is a significant public and clinical health concern, while stressing the multiple and intersectional discrimination suffered by women with disabilities.

The EESC welcomes the Commission's proposal to amend the Anti-Trafficking Directive, as it agrees with the need for further progress and improvement in the fight against trafficking in human beings and the protection of victims. The gender dimension in the content and implementation of the directive should be strengthened, given that the vast majority of victims are women and girls. The EESC believes that the directive should pay greater attention to victims of trafficking, and wishes to highlight the Member States' obligation to care for and protect victims and ensure their social inclusion as far as possible.