Violence against women remains one of the most pervasive human rights challenges worldwide. Globally, tens of thousands of women are killed each year because of their gender. In Europe, the scale of violence is often underestimated: recent surveys indicate that one in three women has experienced violence since the age of 15, with particularly high prevalence in parts of Eastern Europe. Femicide—the gender-related killing of women and girls—represents the most extreme manifestation of this violence.

Femicide is frequently treated as the extreme outcome of domestic violence. Yet evidence increasingly shows that gender-related killings can also occur in environments shaped by organized crime, human trafficking networks, armed violence, and institutional weakness. When states fail to prevent and respond effectively to the systematic killing of women, femicide becomes not only a human rights concern but also a challenge to governance and security systems.

Drawing on policy developments and legal reforms across Latin America, this policy brief examines lessons that may inform Europe’s evolving response to femicide. By situating femicide within broader discussions of governance and security, the brief highlights policy approaches that can strengthen prevention, accountability, and institutional capacity to address gender-related killings.

The findings are intended to inform ongoing policy discussions within European institutions and national governments working to strengthen responses to gender-related violence.