Take action
Your voice is pressure. Use it.
Pressure works when it's aimed at the right person, asks for something specific, comes from many people, and doesn't stop after one message. Politicians respond to what voters raise, how often, and how visibly. You don't need to be an expert. You just need to ask.
Five things you can do
Email your representative. We'll give you the words.
Find your local councillor, national MP, or MEP, and tell them this matters to you. Use the template below so you don't have to start from scratch.
Respond to a public consultation.
When a government drafts a new law, it often opens a public consultation that anyone can answer. Your response directly shapes the law.
Ask candidates before you vote.
At every election, ask candidates what they will do about gender-based violence and vote for the ones who take it seriously. Politicians track what voters care about.
Petition the European Parliament.
Any resident of the EU can submit a petition to the European Parliament's Committee on Petitions.
How to petitionShow up and speak up.
Join the marches on 25 November, the International Day for the Elimination of Violence Against Women, and national ones near you. Challenge media that calls a killing a “tragedy” instead of what it is. Numbers and visibility are pressure.
More ways to help
Push where you work. Ask your employer or union to support staff facing abuse, for example with paid "safe leave" (time off to deal with it) and clear, confidential support.
Support an advocacy organisation working on reform (see the directory →).
Follow what's changing (laws in motion, elections to watch →).
Share the data and keep the issue visible between the moments of outrage.
A message you can send today
Not sure what to say? Copy this, change the parts in brackets, and send it. It takes two minutes.
Dear [name], I'm a constituent in [place]. Gender-based violence affects one in three women in Europe, and yet [name the gap, for example: coercive control is still not a crime here / services are underfunded / reporting rates remain very low]. I want to know what you are doing about this, and whether you support [your specific ask]. I'll be following your response, and it will shape how I vote. Thank you. I look forward to hearing from you.