Across Europe, violence against women remains one of the most persistent human rights violations. While many countries have strengthened their laws in recent years, implementation gaps continue to leave thousands of women without adequate protection.
GREVIO has been actively conducting baseline and thematic evaluation visits across numerous European states throughout 2024 and 2025, part of its latest monitoring cycle. These visits precede detailed evaluation reports that analyze state compliance with the Convention’s obligations. In late 2025, GREVIO received the European Union’s own report on its implementation of the Istanbul Convention, with a formal evaluation visit planned for 2026 and a comprehensive EU evaluation report expected in 2027.
The latest findings from the Group of Experts on Action against Violence against Women and Domestic Violence (GREVIO) the independent monitoring body of the Istanbul Convention provide a clear message: Europe has made legal progress, but structural change is still incomplete.
Below, we explore the key European trends identified in the 2024–2025 monitoring cycle, with a closer look at the 2025 evaluation of Italy.
Europe’s Legal Progress and Its Limits
Over the past decade, European states have significantly strengthened their legal frameworks to combat: Domestic violence, Sexual violence, Stalking and coercive control, Forced marriage and female genital mutilation and technology facilitated abuse. National action plans have been adopted, Criminal codes have been amended and Institutional coordination has improved. Yet GREVIO’s recent reports consistently highlight a difficult reality: strong laws do not automatically translate into effective protection. Across multiple countries, recurring challenges include inconsistent risk assessments, limited shelter capacity, uneven judicial responses, insufficient long-term funding for specialist women’s services and weak or fragmented data systems.
The result? Women’s access to justice and protection often depends on geography, institutional culture, and available resources.
Spotlight on Italy: The 2025 GREVIO Evaluation
The 2025 GREVIO evaluation of Italy offers a particularly instructive example of both progress and ongoing structural challenges.
Significant Legislative Developments in Italy
GREVIO recognizes that Italy has substantially expanded its legal framework in recent years. Positive developments includes:
- Strengthened criminal provisions on gender-based violence
- Procedural reforms aimed at improving victim protection
- Enhanced institutional coordination mechanisms
- Dedicated national action plans aligned with the Istanbul Convention
Italy has clearly demonstrated political commitment to tackling violence against women at the legislative level.
Where Gaps Remain
Despite progress, GREVIO identifies several areas requiring urgent attention.
- Judicial Practice and Gender Awareness
Courts do not always consistently apply a gender-sensitive approach. The report highlights: risks of underestimating the dynamics of domestic violence, insufficient understanding of trauma-related victim behavior and concerns regarding how domestic violence is considered in child custody proceedings. GREVIO calls for systematic and mandatory training for judges, prosecutors, and lawyers to ensure that decisions prioritize victim safety and reflect the gendered nature of violence.
- Risk Assessment and Protection Orders
Protection mechanisms exist in law, but implementation remains uneven. GREVIO stresses the need for: standardized, evidence-based risk assessment tools, stronger multi-agency cooperation and effective monitoring and enforcement of restraining orders. Without consistent risk assessment and coordinated responses, protective measures may fail to prevent escalation.
- Regional Disparities in Support Services
Italy has decentralized system results in uneven service provision: shelter capacity varies widely by region, rural areas often lack adequate access to specialized services and Services for migrant, disabled, and LGBTQ+ women remain insufficient. Stable, long-term funding for independent women’s organizations is essential to close these gaps.
- Data and Monitoring Challenges
Italy has improved data gathering, but GREVIO finds that data remains fragmented across institutions, disaggregated data (by age, disability, migration status) is incomplete and the evaluation mechanisms for policy effectiveness require strengthening. Improved national data harmonization is a central recommendation.
Italy Reflects Broader European Patterns
Italy’s findings mirror trends observed across Europe
| Common European Challenge | Reflected in Italy? |
|---|---|
| Strong laws but uneven enforcement | Yes |
| Insufficient specialized services | Yes |
| Judicial underestimation of gender dynamics | Yes |
| Data fragmentation | Yes |
| Regional disparities | Particularly pronounced |
In short, Europe has largely built the legal architecture required by the Istanbul Convention but the system does not yet function equally or effectively everywhere.
The Bigger Picture: From Norm Setting to Structural Change
GREVIO’s recent reports signal that Europe is at a critical transitional moment.
The focus is shifting from Adopting laws to ensuring those laws work in practice and this requires
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Mandatory professional training
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Consistent risk assessment systems
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Sustainable funding for shelters and NGOs
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Improved data harmonization
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Stronger coordination between civil and criminal justice systems
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Meaningful consultation with civil society
Ending violence against women is not only about criminalisation. It requires systemic transformation in institutions, attitudes, and resource allocation.
Why This Matters
Violence against women is not a private issue. It is a matter of human rights, equality, and democratic integrity. The Istanbul Convention provides Europe with a comprehensive framework. GREVIO’s monitoring reminds us that implementation not legislation alone determines whether women are truly protected and as the 2025 evaluations show, the work is far from finished.
