Violence against women, in the spotlight
Thousands of people have asked the government for better measures to protect women
Daniela Budu, 04.06.2025, 13:50
Thousands of people took to the streets on Tuesday night in downtown Bucharest, protesting violence against women and demanding effective measures from the government to protect them. They warned that Romanian society tends to downplay violence and abuse of any kind, especially when directed against women.
The rally took place after a 23-year-old pregnant woman was shot to death by her ex-partner in the street, in front of her 3-year-old daughter. The aggressor is a repeat abuser and, despite many restraining orders and complaints filed with the police, the system failed to protect the victim.
The protesters believe that violence against women is inadequately punished and even tolerated by the authorities, and that the victims end up being blamed for their situation. The protest, organized by FILIA Centre, the Centre for Legal Resources and Feminism Romania, cautions that this is the 25th victim of femicide in Romania since the beginning of the year. In addition, according to data from the interior ministry, in the first 4 months of this year alone, there were over 40,000 cases of domestic violence in Romania.
The NGOs picketing the government headquarters demanded that femicide, i.e. the killing of women for gender-related reasons, should be introduced as a separate offence in the Criminal Code.
On a private television station, the interior minister Cătălin Predoiu said the existing instruments in the field are similar to those in Europe, but he admitted that tougher measures are probably needed in Romania. He also stated that cases of domestic violence are currently treated as seriously as any other type of crime.
For now, the Liberals have tabled a bill in Parliament that scraps court fees for divorce and division of joint property proceedings. The initiator of the bill, MP Alina Gorghiu, claims the measure supports victims of domestic violence in overcoming trauma and regaining an independent life.
And on Monday, the Chamber of Deputies discussed a draft law called ‘Romania without violence’, which increases penalties for acts of violence. The bill provides for prison sentences from 6 months to 3 years or a fine for assault or any acts of violence causing physical suffering.
Also worth mentioning is that domestic and gender-based violence is widespread throughout Europe, according to the latest Eurostat survey posted on the European Parliament website. According to the report, 1 in 3 women in the EU has experienced gender-based violence since the age of 15, and around 17% of women have been subjected to violence by a domestic partner.
Most EU countries have laws against violence based on a person’s gender or sexual orientation, but the lack of a common definition of gender-based violence and common rules against this scourge helps to perpetuate it, the European lawmakers believe. For this reason, the European Parliament has repeatedly called for new EU legislation in this area and for more action to stop it. (AMP)
