Workshop – The EU Directive on violence against women and domestic violence: Equality Bodies’ role in focus

This workshop will take place online on 30 September 2025 (in conjunction with the Gender Equality Working Group meeting). It is aimed at members of the Equinet Working Group on Gender Equality.

Background

The Directive on combating violence against women and domestic violence (EU) 2024/1385) mentions Equality Bodies in Recital 50 and Article 22. The latter pertains to the possibility for national bodies, including Equality Bodies, to: (a) publishing reports and making recommendations on any issue relating to violence against women and domestic violence; and (b) exchanging available information with relevant European bodies such as the European Institute for Gender Equality.

Given this potential expert role that Equality Bodies may obtain, and in line with Equinet previous work on gender-based violence such as its 2019 publication titled Tackling Violence against Women and Gender-Based Violence. Equality Bodies Contribution, this workshop is aimed to shed a light on the efforts toward the long-awaited adoption of the Directive, its features and powers, as well as to provide updated information on other European policy and legal instruments available in the fight against VAW and domestic violence, in order to enhance Equality Bodies’ dedicated knowledge in the field.

As prescribed in the Directive, the workshop aims to dive deep into the development of reports and recommendations by Equality Bodies, and their collaboration with relevant European Bodies such as EIGE, that – among other expert voices – will play a key role in the workshop.

Objectives

• Enhance Equality Bodies Gender Officers’ dedicated knowledge on VAW and domestic violence
• Discuss and exchange on European and national strategies and policies to raise awareness on, prevent and combat VAW and domestic violence across Europe
• Develop members’ capacity to fulfil the potential role prescribed in the EU Directive, with a view to its transposition to be finalized by 14 June 2027
• Identify avenues and possibilities for mutual learning and cooperation between Equality Bodies and other stakeholders

Participants

The target audience of this workshop is members of the Equinet Working Group on Gender Equality.

For further information, please contact Moana Genevey (moana.genevey@equineteurope.org)