Gender-based violence: Does the practice meet the law? Review Violence against women is particularly alarming, as one in three women have been subjected to physical or sexual violence. In this article, lawyer Ekaterini Georgiadou provides an unparalleled critical review of the legislative framework for gender-based violence in Greece. She examines the provisions of the Istanbul Convention and the severe concerns reflected in GREVIO's evaluation report about the implementation of the Convention in Greece. Furthermore, she focuses in particular on the newly adopted EU Directive on combating violence against women, which Member States are obliged to transpose into their national law within three years. By Ekaterini Georgiadou
A slap in the face for all women of Europe Commentary In a blow to women across Europe, a crucial law to combat sexualized and digital violence was thwarted by Germany and France. With rape still not uniformly defined, and digital abuses narrowly defined, the fight for women's safety demands a stronger, unified front. Equal rights demand equal security. By Alexandra Geese
Abortion rights in the United States: The end of Roe v. Wade Interview On Monday night, a surprise draft ruling by conservative Justice Samuel Alito was released in the U.S. indicating that a majority on the Supreme Court wants to reverse the legalization of abortions. Ella Müller, director of the Democracy Programme at the Heinrich-Böll-Stiftung Washington, DC, puts this impending caesura and the political developments behind it in context. By Carl Roberts
Four disturbing aspects to Slovakia limiting abortion access for Ukrainian women Commentary More reports about rapes by the Russian army against the Ukrainian girls and women who are arriving in Slovakia have been exposed. In the meantime, the Slovak parliament is discussing proposals on banning abortion for women without permanent residency. This cynical targeting of Ukrainian girls and women is disturbing, says Denisa Nešťáková. By Dr. Denisa Nešťáková
Four reasons why care fails and gender-based violence remains resilient in a 'crisis' context Commentary What does care mean in a Covid-19 pandemic context? Why does care fail and gender-based violence becomes even more resilient in itself, despite being conceptualised as a "pandemic within a pandemic" in a context of intensifying sexism, culturalist stereotypes and xenophobia, not to mention social policing and the intensive securitization of borders and mobility? By Eirini Avramopoulou
Digital violence against women: what needs to be done now Event report Every single day, women are abused, threatened or slandered on digital social networks. Yet the operators of these platforms are doing very little to make the digital space a safer place for women. The whistleblower Frances Haugen talked to Spiegel journalist Ann-Katrin Müller and Alexandra Geese, Member of the European Parliament, about what needs to be done right now to stop violence on the net. By Ute Czylwik
About soul and sovereignty: our reaction to Ursula von der Leyen’s 2021 State of the Union address Commentary In her 2021 State of the Union address, European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen appealed to Europe’s soul, which, she said, has been tested to the core in times of multiple crises. The team of the Heinrich-Böll-Stiftung European Union did its own soul-searching, pointing at the good, the not-so-good and the missing in von der Leyen’s speech. By Eva van de Rakt , Lisa Tostado , Martin Keim , Anna Schwarz , Zora Siebert and Joan Lanfranco
Hard-won progress on gender equality destroyed: the impact of the Covid-19 crisis on women and LGBTIQ Commentary 2020 was expected to be the feminist super year - the anniversaries of the UN Resolution on "Women, Peace, and Security" and the Beijing Declaration and Platform for Action were supposed to be celebrated, and discussions about the lack of their implementation to be held. Instead, this became the year that, according to UN Women, would destroy 25 years of feminist achievements. By Birte Rodenberg , Merima Šišić and Jana Prosinger
Gendered disinformation: 6 reasons why liberal democracies need to respond to this threat Policy brief Gendered disinformation is a form of identity-based disinformation that threatens human rights worldwide. It undermines the digital and political rights, as well as the safety and security, of its targets. Ellen Judson from Demos explains what gendered disinformation is, how it impacts individuals and societies, and the challenges in combating it, drawing on case studies from Poland and the UK. It assesses how the UK and EU are responding to gendered disinformation, and sets out a plan of action for governments, platforms, media and civil society. By Ellen Judson
Algorithmic misogynoir in content moderation practice E-paper "Algorithmic misogynoir in content moderation practice" from Brandeis Marshall, offers an intersectional perspective by exploring the discrimination specifically faced by Black women in the United States. By Brandeis Marshall