Stop all forms of gender-based violence:
A manifesto for an inclusive and comprehensive
EU gender-based violence policy for all

Together we call on the European Union to adopt a forward-thinking and truly inclusive approach to gender-based violence – that leaves no one behind and strives to achieve real change in the lives of all people, without discrimination. To meaningfully address gender-based violence in the European Union, we must promote inclusion, safety, protection, well-being and effective remedies for those most at risk.

In the lead up to International Women’s Day, 8 March, and the expected publication of a draft EU law to address violence against women and domestic violence, the under-signed organisations have adopted this manifesto for a truly inclusive EU law and policy. We welcome the leadership of the European Commission in taking action, and the engagement of the European Parliament, and urge everyone who will be involved in this effort to take an inclusive and intersectional feminist approach.

People facing marginalisation and intersectional discrimination – such as racialised women, women with disabilities, sex workers, those of lower socio-economic status, experiencing homelessness, with precarious or irregular migration status, as well as people with diverse sexual orientation, gender identities and expressions and sex characteristics including trans and non-binary people, are among the most at risk of gender-based violence and least protected and supported by existing efforts to prevent and tackle violence and other harm. 

Measures that aim to address gender-based violence by focusing on increasing criminalisation, policing and incarceration can make many people and communities more vulnerable, reproducing structural, institutional and interpersonal discrimination and violence (1). 

We urge the European Union decision makers to strive for an ambitious and comprehensive package of legal, policy and financial measures to address gender-based violence and to ensure victims’ rights that:

• Centres the perspectives, concerns and recommendations of those facing multiple and intersecting forms of discrimination.
• Takes an intersectional and rights-based approach, recognising that to achieve gender equality and freedom from gender-based violence and protect fundamental rights for all, we have to address all forms of violence, in particular when linked to gender, gender identity and expression, sex characteristics, sexual orientation, race and ethnicity, age, disability, class, religion and migration status, and that those who experience intersectional discrimination face greater vulnerability to all forms of gender-based violence and domestic violence (2).
• Addresses structural and historical harms and drivers of gender-based violence, and underlying issues such as poverty and oppression, including those created, enabled and normalised by states. 
• Addresses the laws, policies, practices and by-laws that discourage and prevent victims from reporting – such as those that criminalise aspects of sex work including clients, migration and homelessness – or that deny survivors access to essential sexual and reproductive health services, as well as gender-based and intersectional violence perpetrated by police. 
• This requires review and reform of such laws, policies, practices and by-laws as well as specific measures to promote inclusion, safety, well-being, remedy and reparations for particularly affected groups, including in the context of the COVID-19 pandemic, where the increased powers of the police and requirement to present personal identity and vaccination documents increase the risk of policing of marginalised groups.
• Prioritises a social, community and survivor-centred approach over further criminalisation, invests in holistic social and support services, including mental health and sexual and reproductive health care, social protection and harm reduction, information provision, community interventions, and mechanisms that enable people to access services, remedies and stability, including residence status, without conditions or requirements to engage with law enforcement and the criminal legal system. Ensures that all women as well as people with diverse sexual orientation, gender identities and expressions and sex characteristics fleeing violence are able to access safe, suitable and stable accommodation and other support services without furthering the cycle of abuse. 
• Addresses harmful practices such as female genital mutilation; human trafficking; and non-consensual medical interventions such as forced abortion, forced contraception, forced sterilisation, intersex genital mutilation, forced gender reassignment, through this rights-based and intersectional feminist approach. 
• Ensures safety and protection for people who do wish to engage with authorities and with the criminal legal system, protection from secondary victimisation, including sanctions, penalties and immigration enforcement, and ensures accessibility of the justice system and procedural accommodation for victims, including people with disabilities. 
• Does not fall behind, and rather builds upon, existing European standards, including the Istanbul Convention and the Victims’ Rights Directive (3). 

As of 7 March 2022, the manifesto has been signed by the European Association of Institutes for Vocational Training (EVBB) – by Mr. Thiemo Fojkar (President of EVBB) and Mr. Theodor Grassos (Secretary General of EVBB) – along with the following organisations (alphabetical list):

European/ international networks and organisations

1. Amnesty International
2. ASTRA Network
3. Center for Reproductive Rights
4. Correlation – European Harm Reduction Network
5. Equinox Initiative for Racial Justice (Equinox)
6. EU Civil Society Forum on HIV, TB and Hep
7. Eurasian Harm Reduction Association (EHRA)
8. European AIDS Treatment Group
9. European Anti-Poverty Network
10. European Disability Forum
11. European Federation of Organisations working with Homeless People (FEANTSA)
12. European Liberals for Reform
13. European Network Against Racism (ENAR)
14. European Sex Workers’ Rights Alliance (ESWA)
15. FAAAT think & do tank
16. Fair Trials
17. GAMBE – supporting migrant women
18. Global Alliance Against Traffic in Women
19. Harm Reduction International
20. HIV Justice Network
21. International Planned Parenthood Federation European Network (IPPF EN)
22. La Strada International – European NGO Platform against trafficking in human beings
23. Mama Cash
24. Organisation Intersex International Europe (OII Europe)
25. Red Umbrella Fund
26. Regional Implementation Initiative on Preventing & Combating Human Trafficking
27. Sex Workers’ Rights Advocacy Network (SWAN)
28. TAMPEP- European Network for the Promotion of Health and Rights among Migrant Sex Workers
29. TGEU – Transgender Europe
30. The European Region of the International Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Trans, and Intersex Association
(ILGA-Europe)
31. European Association of Institutes for Vocational Training (EVBB)

National level networks and organisations

1. Ação Pela Identidade – Portugal
2. ACCEPT Romania – Romania
3. Act Up-Paris – France
4. ADPARE – Romania
5. Alma-TQ – Kazakhstan
6. APOYO POSITIVO – Spain
7. Asociación Por ti mujer – Spain
8. Association for Support of Marginalized Workers STAR-STAR Skopje – North Macedonia
9. Association HERA XXI, MA IPPF – Georgia
10. Association of Hungarian Sex-Workers (SZEXE) – Hungary
11. Association SKUC – Slovenia
12. ASTRA-Anti trafficking action – Serbia
13. Ban Ying e.V. – Germany
14. BASIS-Projekt – Germany
15. Bilitis Resource Center Foundation – Bulgaria
16. Brazilian association of LGBTQIA+ (ABGLT) – Brazil
17. Bundesverband Trans* (BVT*) – Germany
18. CATNPUD – Catalan network of people who use drugs – Spain
19. Çavaria – Belgium (Flanders)
20. Center Women and Modern World – Azerbaijan
21. CESI – Center for Education, Counselling and Research – Croatia
22. CHOICE for Youth and Sexuality – The Netherlands
23. Comitato per i Diritti Civili delle Prostitute – Italy
24. Comite de Apoyo a las Trabajadoras del Sexo (CATS) – Spain
25. Confederación Sindical de Comisiones Obreras – Spain
26. Deutsche Aidshilfe – Germany
27. Deutscher Frauenrat/National Council of German Women’s Organizations – Germany
28. Dharma & Martia – The United Kingdom
29. Društvo Legebitra – Slovenia
30. Društvo za pomoč in samopomoč brezdomcev Kralji ulice – Slovenia
31. E-Romnja Association (The Association for Promoting Roma Women’s Rights) – Romania
32. Espace P… ASBL – Belgium
33. EUFORIA. Familias Trans-Aliadas – Spain
34. Euphoria Trans – Italy
35. European anti-poverty network Czech Republic – Czech Republic
36. Fair Work – The Netherlands
37. Family Planning Association of Moldova – Moldova
38. Feminist Mobilizations – Bulgaria
39. Fondazione LILA Milano – Italian League for Fighting AIDS – Italy
40. Fossil Free Culture – The Netherlands
41. Foundation Solidarity Works – Bulgaria
42. Frauenhauskoordinierung e.V. – Germany
43. Fundação Portuguesa “A Comunidade Contra a Sida” – Portugal
44. Greek Forum of Refugees – Greece
45. Greek Transgender Support Association (GTSA) – Greece
46. Gruppo Trans APS – Italy
47. Health and social development Foundation – Bulgaria
48. Homosexuelle Initiative (HOSI) Wien – Austria
49. HPLGBT – Ukraine
50. Initiative Group LGBT “Revers” – Russia
51. Internationale Vereinigung Intergeschlechtlicher Menschen – OII Germany e. V. – Germany
52. KOK – German NGO Network against Trafficking in Human Beings – Germany
53. LEFÖ – Counselling, Education and Support for Migrant Women – Austria
54. Lesbian and Gay Federation in Germany LSVD – Germany
55. LGBTI+ Gozo – Malta
56. Life Quality Improvement Organisation Flight – Croatia
57. LILA Lega Italiana per la Lotta contro l’AIDS – Italia
58. Lysistrada Fachstelle für Sexarbeit, Olten, CH – Switzerland
59. Metzineres SCCL – Spain
60. MIT (Movimento Identità Trans) – Italy
61. Moluccan Council of Women (MVR) – The Netherlands
62. Movement of Asylum Seekers in Ireland (MASI) – Ireland
63. MozaiQ LGBT Association – Romania
64. Mujeres Supervivientes de violencias de género – Spain
65. Nacional Association of Travestis and Trans person from brazil – Brazil
66. National Ugly Mugs (NUM) – The United Kingdom
67. Nationale Armutskonferenz/ EAPN – Germany
68. NGO AIDSi Tugikeskus – Estonia
69. Österreichischer Frauenring (ÖFR) – Austria
70. PION – Prostituertes interesseorganisasjon i Norge – Norway
71. Positive Voice – Greece
72. Pro-tukipiste ry – Finland
73. RED AMINVI (RED DE APOYO A LA MUJER INMIGRANTE VICTIMA DE LA VIOLENCIA DE GENERO) –
Spain
74. Red Edition – Migrant sex worker group, Vienna Austria – Austria
75. Red Umbrella Athens – Greece
76. Red Umbrella Sweden – Sweden
77. Right Side Human Rights Defender NGO – Armenia
78. Rutgers – The Netherlands
79. SeksWerkExpertise – The Netherlands
80. Sex Work Polska – Poland
81. Sex Workers Alliance Ireland – Ireland
82. Sex worker Forum Austria – Austria
83. SHOP (Stichting Hulp en Opvang Prostitutie en Mensenhandel) – The Nederlands
84. Social Policy, Gender Identity and Sexual Orientation Studies Association – Turkey
85. Stichting EqualA Foundation – The Netherlands
86. Stichting Prostitutie Informatie Centrum – The Nederlands
87. STRASS – Syndicat du Travail Sexuel – France
88. TAMPEP Nederland – The Netherlands
89. TransAkcija Institute – Slovenia
90. Transfeminiinit ry – Transfeminina rf – Transfeminines NGO – Finland
91. Transgender Infopunt – Belgium
92. Transvanilla Transgender Association – Hungary
93. TransX – Austrian Transgender Association – Austria
94. Ugly Mugs Ireland – Ireland
95. UMAR РUnịo de Mulheres Alternativa e Resposta РPortugal
96. Vatra Psycho-Social Center – Albania
97. Vote for a Woman Foundation (Stem op een Vrouw) – The Nederlands
98. WO=MEN Dutch Gender Platform – The Nederlands
99. Women’s resource center,Armenia NGO – Armenia
100. Zagreb Pride – Croatia
101. И Г Опора ЛЮБВИ – Russia
102. Российский Форум секс-работников – Russia