R2: An end to violence against women and non-binary people. For a more feminist Eastern Europe. (CDN General Assembly 2026, Antragsgrün)

Metadata of the motion
Proposer:	Feminist Action Team (decided on: 13.03.2026)

Across the whole Eastern Europe, women and non-binary people are faced with
challenges on almost all levels: society, policy, culture, economics, health,
and law. Gender-based violence is a systemic problem maintained by institutional
inefficiency. The common enemy is patriarchy, and it is deeply rooted in our
society.

A critical issue that continues to affect society is the serious violence faced
by women and gender minorities. Across much of Eastern Europe, legislation aimed
at preventing and addressing violence against women remains insufficient, while
legal protections for non-binary individuals are almost entirely absent. Even in
countries where relevant legislation is formally in place, authorities often
fail to deliver timely and adequate protection to individuals facing violence.
Institutional reactions often come only after multiple reports, escalations of
violence, or deaths.¹.

In the end, institutional responses to violence are often insufficient and fall
far short of delivering justice. The lack of preventive measures, uneven
judicial practice, weak intersectional and inter-sectoral cooperation and
chronic underestimation of the role of civil society organizations lead to the
normalization of violence against women and non-binary people².

Institutional responses remain insufficient, and perpetrators of violence
against women and non-binary individuals are rarely held accountable, even in
jurisdictions where legal protections are formally established. A lack of
specific legal definitions for intimate partner violence and psychological abuse
in domestic law results in inconsistent prosecution³.

Effective measures and transformative policies remain absent, and deterrence
through both rehabilitation and punishment of perpetrators is insufficient. For
example, HRA report states that in Montenegro from 2022 to 2025, “[i]ndictments
were filed in every fifth case, half of the complaints were dismissed, while
almost one-third of the cases remained unresolved”⁴.

Physical violence is the most egregious and obvious manifestation of violence,
yet far from the only one. Violence can take the form of mental abuse, emotional
abuse, sexual abuse, digital and cyber abuse, or verbal abuse.

Statistics on these topics are also not updated regularly, reflecting a lack of
prioritization in monitoring and response. In reality, the true scale of this
phenomenon is unknown, as many women and non-binary people never report the
various forms of violence against them.

It must be recognized that the growing influence of autocratic governance, far-
right ideologies, and ongoing wars has intensified structural violence against
women and gender minorities, which is frequently normalized within societies.
The consequences of the war in Ukraine on women is much less talked about than
other parts of the Russia’s terror, and the world is especially silent on the
amount of sexual violence women face⁵. Along with other wars and genocides that
have been going on in the world (including, but not limited to, Gaza, Iran, and
Sudan), we have to stand for all the female and non-binary victims who are
suffering, often in silence.

According to EU data, 25 % of women in Latvia have experienced physical and/or
sexual violence in their lifetime, indicating persistent gender-based violence⁶.
Youth in Montenegro have a relatively high level of awareness about the
existence and seriousness of violence against women, yet many remain unsure
where to seek help. Bulgaria saw large protest waves in 2023 after a high-
profile attack⁷. In Serbia, the Autonomous Women's Center reported 28,413
registered domestic-violence incidents in 2023⁸. European Institute for Gender
Equality country profile notes tens of thousands of men reported to police for
domestic violence in Poland in 2022, with far fewer resulting in sentencing⁹. In
Croatia, 19 women were victims of femicide in 2025¹⁰, and in Turkey that number
is 456¹¹.

In Serbia in 2024, there were reports of Telegram group in which large number of
sexually explicit, violent, degrading and illicit content of women was shared
without consent¹².

It has also been noted that a large number of women in Eastern European region
think that violence is “common/fairly common” (88% in Albania, 67% in Bosnia and
Herzegovina, 62% in Montenegro, 60% in North Macedonia and 85% in Serbia)¹³.

Across Eastern Europe, shelters and crisis centres for victims of domestic
violence are often provided through a combination of municipal services and non-
governmental organizations. Shelter infrastructure remains insufficient to meet
international standards. The Council of Europe recommends one family shelter
place per 10,000 inhabitants, yet many countries in the region fall well below
this level¹⁴. Shelters also tend to be concentrated in urban areas and are
primarily operated by non-governmental organizations with limited and unstable
funding¹⁵. As a result, victims, particularly those in rural regions, often face
serious barriers when seeking safe accommodation and support. While assistance
is available, shelters and crisis facilities also apply internal rules related
to safety and capacity, which can affect immediate access in certain situations.

Access to safe and legal abortion remains uneven across Eastern Europe. While
abortion is formally legal in many countries, practical barriers such as
restrictive legislation, administrative obstacles, and widespread use of
conscientious objection by medical professionals significantly limit access to
reproductive healthcare. Poland currently has one of the most restrictive
abortion regimes in Europe following the 2020 Constitutional Tribunal ruling¹⁶,
while in countries such as Hungary¹⁷, Croatia, and Romania legal access is often
undermined by institutional barriers and refusal of services¹⁸.

Adolescents face particularly significant barriers in accessing reproductive
healthcare. Approximately 21 million adolescents aged 15–19 become pregnant each
year in developing regions, and complications from unsafe abortion remain a
major cause of maternal morbidity among young women¹⁹. In many Eastern European
countries, minors seeking abortion services must obtain parental or guardian
consent, and in some cases judicial authorization²⁰. These requirements can
delay or prevent access to timely care, particularly in situations where young
people cannot safely involve their families.

Despite these hardships, there is enough proof and work institutionally, as well
as in the field, to show that protection of women and gender minorities can be
achieved, maintained, and improved.

The Istanbul Convention (Council of Europe Convention on Preventing and
Combating Violence against Women and Domestic Violence) provides the most
comprehensive international legal framework for prevention, protection,
prosecution, and policy integration. Ratified in 39 countries²¹, it has faced
difficulties in recent years. Turkey, for example, officially withdrew from in
2021²². Poland announced an intention to withdraw from the Istanbul Convention
in 2020²³, and in Latvia protests occurred in 2025 amid parliamentary moves
initiating withdrawal proceedings²⁴. In both cases, the withdrawals were not
officially enacted.

Ongoing public mobilization in Latvia, through large protests and petitions
(60,000+ signatures), indicates strong civil society engagement. The country
also adopted national plans to prevent and combat violence against women and
intimate partner violence, and ratified new laws against sexual harassment
(2024) and broader awareness campaigns²⁵.

In 2024, Croatia passed a law outlining femicide as a separate crime²⁶.

Transparency and reporting requirements (e.g., employer pay audits, sanctions
for discriminatory wage policies) exist in some EU states and should be adopted.
(EU pay transparency directive frameworks available through EU Commission gender
strategy).

Across Eastern Europe, centers for help and victim support services actively
provide assistance to victims of domestic abuse and organise advocacy. In
Latvia, for example, support services are provided through municipal crisis
centres and non-governmental organizations such as the MARTA Centre²⁷.

All of these examples show that our region has real potential for change. Many
Eastern European activists and civil society organizations are already working
to support survivors and challenge gender-based violence. To achieve lasting
progress, these efforts must be strengthened through greater cooperation and
unity across the region.

We urge politicians in Eastern Europe:

develop policies that prioritise the protection and prevention of violence
against women and non-binary people;

strengthen implementation of existing laws and introduce clearer
protection measures for victims, including effective restraining orders
and coordinated institutional responses

legislate clear definitions of all forms of violence (intimate partner,
psychological, stalking, digital) aligned with EU and Council of Europe
standards

ensure adequate funding and accessibility of shelters and crisis centres,
in line with the Council of Europe recommendation of at least one family
shelter place per 10,000 inhabitants

guarantee access to comprehensive reproductive healthcare, including safe
and legal abortion services, and remove unnecessary administrative
barriers that prevent timely access — particularly for young women and
those in vulnerable situations

improve national data collection and research on gender-based violence and
victim support services

strengthen education on equality, consent, and human rights

provide stable financial support for civil society organisations working
on prevention, advocacy, and victim support

address hate crimes targeting women and gender minorities, recognising
their link to gender-based violence.

Systemic change needs the support and inclusion of civil society and the general
public.

CDN will contribute to this struggle and strive to:

continue working on feminist topics through its projects, activities, and
groups, such as the Feminist Action Team

develop partnerships with NGOs which fight violence against women and
support victims of violence

spread the word about different resources and organisations that provide
help to victims of different forms of violence against women and non-
binary people

apply for and develop projects to address the issue of violence against
women

advocate and campaign among our member organisations, as well as beyond
the network

educate members on the topic and about the ways how they can fight for
better law and prevention in their countries

spread the word about the issues of women and gender minorities in the
Eastern European region

continue advocating for peace and the stopping of violence, especially in
the cases of organized attacks that harm women further, such as full scale
Russian invasion of Ukraine.