Austerity measures that rob women of quality jobs, push them into more unpaid care work and steadily erode vital public services increase women’s exposure to rising gender-based violence, trade unions are warning on the International Day for the Elimination of Violence Against Women.
New figures published by the German government show that violence against women in all forms increased last year: misogynistic crimes increased by over 73%, sexual offences against women and girls by 2.1%, domestic violence by 3.5% and digital violence by 6%. In Belgium, 22 women have already been killed by their partners in 2025 compared to 20 in 2024.
The escalation in violence against women comes at a time when austerity measures are making work more precarious, cutting social protection, and weakening public services – making it more difficult for women to be financially independent and be able to escape violence.
Demonstration
On Sunday, trade unions in Belgium began a week of strike action against their government’s austerity measures with a demonstration highlighting how women are the first victims of attacks on working conditions and public services.
A backlash against women’s rights also saw the Latvian parliament vote last month to withdraw from the Istanbul Convention — Europe’s strongest legal tool to prevent and combat violence against women. The decision has since been delayed after nationwide protests.
That is why the European Trade Union Confederation (ETUC) is calling today for the EU and national governments to raise the quality of jobs as a fire wall to stop violence against women and to introduce new legally binding measures to prevent violence and harassment in the world of work at EU level – a demand backed by the European Parliament.
Isabelle Schömann, ETUC Deputy General Secretary:
“Politicians will be falling over themselves to issue strongly worded statements about violence against women today. But women workers are fed up of this day being used for virtue signalling by the same politicians whose decisions are putting them at a higher risk of male violence.
“Every job made more precarious means a woman worker losing financial independence. Every childcare place cut is a woman worker who is forced to reduce their hours. Every pension cut is a woman worker made financially dependent or falling into poverty.
“It all adds up to more women being exposed to rising male violence for longer. Gesture politics does nothing to stop violence against women. What women workers need are quality jobs and safe workplaces that ensure they aren’t trapped in abusive relationships.
“That is why trade unions call today for governments to end the austerity policies driving violence against women and instead invest in quality jobs and in public services that will give women security at work and at home.”
