European Union introduces first-ever Law for Women's Safety

Enforcing its first-ever regulation aimed at controlling violence against women, the European Union (EU) has made significant progress toward improving the security of women. The important regulations aim to protect women in all 27 EU member states from various forms of gender-based violence. The focus of the law is on acts of violence against women, such as forced marriages, female genital mutilation, and cyberviolence including improper use of personal images. Victims of domestic violence report crimes and perpetrators incur five years in prison. On the other hand, punishments for crimes against human rights advocates, politicians, journalists, spouses, ex-spouses, and children are significantly harsher.

New guidelines were agreed by the European Parliament in April and have now been adopted by member states. The EU has three years to incorporate the new regulations into national laws. Paul Van Tigchelt, Belgium's Justice Minister states, "This law will guarantee EU-wide that its perpetrators will be strongly sanctioned and that its victims will receive all the support they need."

Delegates, however, have reached a uniform agreement over the law's effects, and discussions concerning a uniform EU definition of rape have taken place, with Greece and Italy adapting it. Germany and France disagreed with it at the same time, asking for EU competence. Ahead of a meeting in Brussels, Spain's Minister of Equality, Ana Redondo, said she would prefer more ambitious regulations but encouraged the law as a solid starting point.