Historic vote: The Senate has adopted a bill that defines femicide and introduces strict measures for the prevention and combat of gender-based violence

The Romanian Senate has adopted, with an overwhelming majority, a bill considered essential for the prevention and combating of femicide and associated violence. The bill, voted with 97 votes "for", one vote "against" and seven abstentions, defines femicide as the intentional killing of a woman and introduces classifications such as intimate, non-intimate, and indirect femicide. The law is based on alarming statistics, highlighting that Romania has a rate of female homicides above the EU average.

The new legislation requires state institutions to treat gender-based violence as a signal of lethal risk, obliging law enforcement agencies to use standardized tools for risk assessment. Among the important amendments are the introduction of aggravating circumstances that allow for life imprisonment for femicide and the recognition of orphaned children as direct victims.

The law also includes preventive measures through education, integrating gender equality themes into the school curriculum. Supported by numerous NGOs, this legislative reform has the potential to radically change Romania's approach to violence against women, shifting from delayed reactions to prevention and accountability. The bill is set to be debated in the Chamber of Deputies, which will have the final say.