8 March, International Women's Day: EU adopts sanctions against sexual and gender-based violence

By Cristiano Antonino On Mar 8, 2023

8 March, International Women’s Day: sexual and gender-based violence are “a global phenomenon, women must be supported every day”

8 March 2023, the decisions taken by the EU on International Women’s Day

At a time when “women’s rights are particularly under attack around the world”, the EU is taking decisions that are bound to leave their mark, as the European Commission and the High Representative of the Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy, Josep Borrell, recall in a joint statement ahead of International Women’s Day.

The communiqué further states: “The worldwide increase in oppression against women and girls and in incidents in which the human rights of women and girls are being violated are alarming.

We stand by women in Iran, whose freedoms are systematically restricted, and in Afghanistan, where the Taliban are trying to erase women and girls from public space, as well as anywhere in the world where women’s fundamental rights and freedoms are threatened or denied.

We are also extremely concerned about reports that the Russian armed forces are using sexual violence against women and children in Ukraine as a weapon of war.

Such actions constitute war crimes and those responsible must be brought to justice.

We will continue to work with our international partners to make Russia pay for these atrocities’.

The note continues: “Not only today, but every day, we stand by all women to give an even greater boost to their rights around the world.

We want women to be able to pursue their goals unhindered.

To strengthen global responsibility, the EU has just adopted a package of sanctions against perpetrators of sexual and gender-based violence’.

8 March, the good news quoted by the EU

The authors of the note further report that ‘There is also good news.

The EU has taken key decisions to ensure that women in the EU have the same opportunities as men; for example, with new EU rules on gender balance on company boards or on pay transparency.

We also intend to establish EU rules to combat violence against women and domestic violence.