Thousands participate in the "Together for Women's Safety" march in Bucharest

Autor: Alexandra Pricop

Publicat: 20-10-2025 08:37

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Sursă foto: Frank Hoermann / SVEN SIMON / AFP / Profimedia

Several thousand people participated, on Sunday, in Bucharest, in the "Together for Women's Safety" march held on the route of Universitatii Square - Victoriei Square.

Participants displayed banners reading: "Free - Strong", "You Can't Touch My Body Unless I Want To", "Solidarity".

"We are taking to the streets to show what kind of world we want: a world where every woman and every girl is safe at school, on the street, at work and at home. A world where relationships are built on trust and respect, not fear and abuse. The march is a step towards this world. We want the authorities to act as a shield against gender-based violence. We want medical services, police, prosecutors, judges and social services to always show support for women and girls at risk," reads a post by the march's organizer - the Network for the Prevention and Combating of Violence Against Women.

According to the same source, the aggressors bear full responsibility for their actions and must answer before the law with sanctions proportional to their gravity.

"We want those who escaped violent situations to have confidence that justice protects them and brings them justice. This trust can only exist when police officers, prosecutors and judges eliminate their racist, classist and sexist biases from the way they apply the law. We want every person to be heard and respected, regardless of their sexual orientation or gender identity," the event organizers say.

They say the cultural justification of gender-based violence against Roma girls and women is unacceptable and must stop, and the police must protect, not discriminate.

"We need effective tools for assessing the risk of femicide, places in safe and accessible shelters, as well as free psychological and legal counseling for survivors of violence, and free programmes for counseling aggressors. Every case ignored or treated superficially can mean a lost life, and the state has the obligation to guarantee the safety of its citizens. The safety of women and girls is not a favour, but a fundamental right that must be respected and protected," reports the Network for the Prevention and Combating of Violence Against Women.

Awareness-raising actions on violence against women also took place in Brasov, Sibiu, Iasi, Baia Mare, Timisoara, Cluj, Arad, Oradea, Piatra-Neamt and in the rural town of Valea Seaca.

According to data collected by women's protection organizations, 40 women were murdered in the first 8 months of 2025 in Romania. A total of 445 women were murdered by a family member in the last 10 years, 36,417 complaints were registered in 2024 for the crime of beatings and other violence alone, 42% of women in Romania have experienced physical violence or threats and sexual violence from an aggressor during their lifetime and almost one in two women in Romania has experienced physical violence or threats, sexual violence or psychological violence from an intimate partner.

"We ask Parliament to modify the law to prevent femicides and the violence that precedes them, so that in all cases of violence against women and girls, the risk is assessed and identified in a timely manner by police officers, prosecutors, judges, so that protective measures can be immediately ordered, and the aggressors are held accountable for their actions," the Network's demands.

They also demand the criminalisation of forced marriage as a distinct crime, its recognition as a specific form of sexual violence, and the harmonisation of national legislation with all the provisions of Directive 1385/2024 on violence against women and domestic violence.

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