Gender and violence against women
Violence against women is defined in international treaties (such as the Istanbul Convention, 2011) as violence directed at women because they are women, or that disproportionately affects women.
Definitions
Violence against women is defined in international treaties (such as the Istanbul Convention, 2011) as violence directed at women because they are women, or that disproportionately affects women. Domestic violence, sexual violence and stalking are included.
The position of trans women
Transgender women experience disproportionately high rates of violence and harassment. Research by TGEU records transgender deaths worldwide, particularly among trans women of colour.
Debate
There is public debate over whether policies and statistics should include trans women in the category 'women' or treat them as a separate category. Different countries make different choices. This debate is also taking place within feminism.
The Istanbul Convention
The convention of the Council of Europe has been in force in the Netherlands since 2016 and requires states to prevent violence against women, protect victims and prosecute perpetrators. It defines gender as the socially determined roles and behaviours that a society considers appropriate for women and men. This definition has been the subject of controversy. In 2018, the Bulgarian Constitutional Court declared the convention unconstitutional, and Turkey withdrew from it in 2021. The European Union acceded as a whole in 2023.
Figures
Several dozen women are killed in the Netherlands each year, in most cases by a partner or former partner. The international count of transgender people killed, published annually by TGEU, shows that by far the majority of cases occur in Latin America and that many victims worked in prostitution. The two types of figures are difficult to compare because they are collected in different ways. In the Netherlands, Bureau Clara Wichmann conducts legal proceedings for women, including cases concerning sexual harassment.
Recording sex
To measure violence against women, it must be clear what is being counted. If the police and the justice system record the sex that someone reports themselves, figures on perpetrators and victims may shift, particularly for offences committed almost exclusively by men. In the United Kingdom, an independent review led by Professor Alice Sullivan recommended in 2025 that official statistics record biological sex, alongside gender identity where necessary. A summary of that report is available on vrouwenruimtes.nl. The English-language website Women Are Human collects short news reports on individual cases, often based on court records and local media. See also trans people and women's safety, women's shelters and self-identification and gender and prisons.