A report by the Council of Europe’s Group of Experts on Action against Violence against Women and Domestic Violence (GREVIO) highlights a “shrinking space” for NGOs supporting women and girls across Europe. This contraction is linked to both austerity measures that cut funding and a broader context of regression in women’s rights.
Women’s rights defenders are increasingly subjected to violence, threats, and gendered hate speech, according to GREVIO, the group of independent experts responsible for monitoring the implementation by parties to Council of Europe’s Convention on preventing and combating violence against women and domestic violence, also known as the Istanbul Convention.
GREVIO’s analysis, based on recently published thematic country reports, shows that, in some countries, a growing climate of hostility is emboldening narratives that deny the existence of violence against women and question the need for gender equality policies. GREVIO observed, for instance, discourses questioning the reality of violence against women and the necessity of policies addressing it – part of a broader rollback on women’s rights across many countries making it increasingly difficult for women’s rights organisations to advocate for women’s protection from violence. Adding to this is the authority’s lack of genuine cooperation with women’s rights organisations – an issue addressed by GREVIO in many of its recent reports and a continuation of a trend already identified in its first round of monitoring, the baseline evaluation procedure.
GREVIO noted with concern the growing incidence of online violence and sexist hate speech targeting women journalists and politicians, as well as a sharp increase in violence against women committed online, such as online stalking or blackmail by means of photos, videos or other material containing sexual content. These concerns are presented in the context of incidents of intimidation and silencing of women’s rights defenders which GREVIO identified in its evaluation procedures. Globally, the report referenced a 2023 survey showing that 75% of women human rights defenders or their organisations had experienced harassment or threats, an increase of 15% since 2021.
Funding is a major challenge. Article 8 of the Istanbul Convention obliges governments to allocate appropriate resources for violence prevention and specialist support services. Over the past ten years of implementation, several countries have stepped up their funding for domestic violence shelters and many have set up entirely new services required under the Istanbul Convention, notably for victims of rape and sexual violence. But shortfalls persist, especially for ensuring service sustainability through increased and sustained funding to support long-term service. The report raises concern over the practice of favouring larger, non-specialist providers through competitive tendering processes, undermining long-standing feminist organisations that operate on principles of empowerment and have built expertise over decades.
In recent years, GREVIO has raised concerns about overly restrictive licensing requirements for NGOs operating specialist support services for women victims of violence, particularly domestic violence shelters. While aiming to ensure service quality, the high thresholds and necessary investments make it difficult for many organisations to comply, limiting their ability to support victims, especially specialised entities or grassroots and community-based organisations.
GREVIO again reminds states of their 2023 Reykjavik Declaration commitment to create safe, enabling environments for civil society. Yet the report shows that, in practice, many women’s rights NGOs are under threat—financially, socially, and politically.
The report also reiterates the need to adopt new approaches to ensure active government support and formal recognition of independent women’s specialist support services, as required by Article 9 of the Istanbul Convention. These organisations must be acknowledged as essential partners in the institutional response to all forms of violence against women.
6th general report on GREVIO's activities
Council of Europe newsroom
