Secretary General highlights gender equality as a democratic security imperative at the UN Commission on the Status of Women in New York

13 March 2026 Strasbourg, France

Council of Europe Secretary General Alain Berset took part in the 70th session of the United Nations Commission on the Status of Women (CSW70) in New York from 10 to 12 March, stressing that gender equality is not only a human rights issue but also a democratic and security imperative. At a time...

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8 March 2026 | International Women's Day: Cyberviolence and the Convention on cybercrime

8 March 2026 Strasbourg, France

Every year, the International Women’s Day offers a chance to spotlight advances in the field of women’s rights and equality. As this year marks the 25th Anniversary of the Convention on Cybercrime, it provides a special opportunity to reflect on this pioneering and solid international treaty,...

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Dealing with new technologies, to ensure equality and protection of women from violence

4 March 2026 Strasbourg, France

Ahead of International Women’s Day, marked on 8 March, the Committee of Ministers of the Council of Europe has adopted two new recommendations to member states addressing the problems posed to gender equality and non-discrimination, and the increase in violence against women and girls, by the...

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Statement by Council of Europe Secretary General Alain Berset and message from the President of GREVIO, Maria-Andriani Kostopoulou

International Day on the Elimination of Violence against Women 2025: “No woman should live in fear of violence” and “The Istanbul Convention is a powerful tool for change"

25 November 2025 Strasbourg, France

Gender-based violence is the number one human rights violation of women in Europe. Democracy rests on the fundamental principle that everyone deserves equal rights and dignity and can live safely and freely. As our democracies are facing new challenges, women’s rights are increasingly called...

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The CyberVAW Conference - strengthening women’s leadership against cyberviolence

23-24 OCTOBER 2025 BUDVA, MONTENEGRO

The CyberSEE joint project of the European Union and the Council of Europe in cooperation with the CyberSouth+, GLACY-e, Octopus projects and CyberKOP Action, with the support of criminal justice authorities from South-East Europe, organised the International conference on combating cyberviolence...

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Council of Europe Committee of Experts finalises draft Recommendation on accountability for technology-facilitated violence against women and girls

30 September-2 October 2025 Strasbourg, France

The Council of Europe’s Committee of Experts on combating technology-facilitated violence against women and girls (GEC/PC-eVIO) held its fourth and final meeting from 30 September to 2 October 2025 in Strasbourg. The Committee concluded its work on the draft Recommendation on accountability for...

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Police officers in Bosnia and Herzegovina gain vital skills to recognize, prevent, and combat digital violence against women

10 July 2025 Sarajevo, Bosnia and Herzegovina

Three consecutive training sessions were held for a group of twenty police officers – 9 women and 11 men – from ten cantons of the Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina in June and July 2025 as part of a comprehensive training programme on addressing technology-facilitated violence against women....

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8 March 2025 | International Women's Day: How far have we come?

8 March 2025 Strasbourg, France

Every year, the International Women’s Day is an opportunity to take a look back at the steps taken in the field of women’s rights and equality. In particular, the past year has seen significant advancements in strengthening legal frameworks to combat cyberviolence. In May 2024, European...

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Women as equal partners in the AI revolution: a call for gender equality in the digital age

6 March 2025 Strasbourg, France

“The AI and digital revolution must also be a revolution for gender equality,” says Council of Europe Secretary General Alain Berset ahead of International Women’s Day. “Together, we can break down barriers to build a future where women and girls lead, innovate, and drive the digital world...

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New deadline: 10 May 2025

Octopus Conference 2025: Registration is now open!

3 March 2025 Strasbourg, France

Update: Given the considerable interest from across the globe, the Octopus Conference Secretariat has extended the deadline to register for in-person participation and submit entries for the Youth and Cybercrime Competition to 10 May 2025, 23h59 CEST, Strasbourg time. Registration is now open...

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New project in Bosnia and Herzegovina aims to support authorities for combating digital and sexual violence against women

7 February 2025 Igman, Bosnia and Herzegovina

The Council of Europe has launched a new project in Bosnia and Herzegovina to support BiH authorities in aligning laws, policies, and practices with Council of Europe standards for combating digital and sexual violence against women. These standards primarily include the Istanbul Convention, case...

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New guidance issued to countries on limiting use of criminal law to restrict freedom of expression

Kicking off: a Council of Europe Network of specialised lawyers and NGOs assisting women victims of violence

22 November 2024 Strasbourg, France

Today, the first ever Network of specialised Lawyers and NGOs assisting victims of violence against women was launched. The Council of Europe Violence against Women Division brought together an initial set of members of this new network for a day of knowledge sharing and networking. With lawyers...

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New GREVIO report on 2023 activities highlights digital dimension of violence against women

15 October 2024 Strasbourg

The recent GREVIO (Group of Experts on Combating Violence Against Women and Domestic Violence) report on last year's activities dedicates a section to the role and importance of risk assessment and management in preventing and combating violence against women. It explores the digital dimension of...

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Committee of Experts on tech-facilitated violence against women and girls holds first meeting

9 octobre 2024 Strasbourg

Le Comité d'expert.e.s sur la lutte contre la violence à l'égard des femmes et des filles facilitée par la technologie (GEC/PC-eVIO) a tenu sa première réunion les 1er et 2 octobre 2024 à Strasbourg. L'objectif principal de ce groupe est de formuler une recommandation traitant de la violence...

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8 mars 2024 | Journée internationale de la femme : Quel chemin avons-nous parcouru ?

8 mars 2024 Strasbourg

Une fois de plus, la Journée internationale de la femme est l'occasion de revenir sur ce qui a été accompli dans le domaine des violences - et plus spécifiquement pour nous, des cyberviolences - à l'encontre des femmes. Alors que la recherche continue de mettre en évidence les inégalités entre...

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Le Conseil et le Parlement européen se penchent sur la cyberviolence à l'encontre des femmes dans le cadre de la première loi européenne

27 février 2024 Strasbourg

Un tout premier instrument européen approuvé par le Conseil et le Parlement européen s'attaque à toutes les formes de violence à l'égard des femmes, y compris la cyberviolence. "Il s'agit d'un grand pas en avant pour mieux protéger les femmes et les jeunes filles de la violence, que ce soit à la...

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Members of the European Parliament demand EU regulation of “virtual worlds”

25 January 2024 Strasbourg

In a recent report by Members of the European Parliament (MEPs), while it is acknowledged that the current “virtual worlds” are primarily developed by companies located outside the EU, EU is encouraged to take on a leading role in their development. The report condemns technologies as being a...

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Cyberviolence Resource presented during the Octopus Conference 2023

13-15 December 2023 Bucharest, Romania

Between 13-15 December 2023, Octopus Conference 2023 took place in Bucharest, Romania. The Octopus Conference, organised every 12 to 18 months by the Council of Europe, constitutes one of the biggest and finest platforms of exchange in cybercrime gathering experts from more than 100 countries,...

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25 November - International Day for the Elimination of Violence against Women

24 November 2023 Strasbourg

Violence against women and girls is a rising phenomenon that knows no geographical boundary, age limit or colour bar. It can take many forms, including domestic or online violence. Statistics not only show that 12% to 15% of women in Europe face domestic violence every day but, according to a...

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Combatting digital and sexual violence against women in Bosnia and Herzegovina

20 October 2023 Strasbourg

A recent Council of Europe project started in June 2023 on "Combatting digital and sexual violence against women in Bosnia and Herzegovina“, will support authorities in Bosnia and Herzegovina to further align their legislation, policies and practices to the standards of the Council of Europe...

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