Thousands join march for women’s safety in Bucharest

Thousands of people took to the streets of Bucharest on Sunday, October 19, to participate in the “Together for Women’s Safety” march, calling for stronger action against gender-based violence and improved protection for women and girls in Romania, news agency Agerpres reported. Similar awareness events took place in cities such as Brașov, Sibiu, Iași, Baia Mare, Timișoara, Cluj, Arad, Oradea, and Piatra-Neamț.

According to data published by investigative outlet Snoop.ro, 46 women were killed in Romania between January and September this year, and 43 of them were classified as femicides. In October, four more cases were reported. The publication released an interactive “femicide map” showing the distribution of such cases across the country.

Sunday’s march, organized by the Network for the Prevention and Combat of Violence Against Women, began in Universitǎții Square and ended in Victorei Square. Participants carried signs reading “Free - Strong,” “My body, my choice,” and “Solidarity,” while university representatives and activists delivered speeches urging systemic reform.

“We are taking to the streets to show the kind of world we want, one in which every woman and girl is safe at school, on the street, at work, and at home,” the organizers said in a statement quoted by Agerpres. “We want authorities to stand as a shield against gender violence. We need the police, prosecutors, judges, and social services to support women and girls in danger.”

The organization also stated that perpetrators must be held fully accountable for their actions and face penalties proportionate to the severity of their crimes. It also called for reforms within law enforcement and the judiciary to eliminate racial, class, and gender biases, ensuring that victims can trust the justice system to protect them.

A similar protest was also organized in June.

At the beginning of September, the Justice Ministry launched a public consultation on proposed changes to the Penal Code that would classify femicide (the killing of women because of their gender) as “aggravated murder,” punishable by life imprisonment or up to 25 years in prison. The reform would also extend to crimes motivated by race, nationality, ethnicity, language, religion, gender, sexual orientation, political views, or other forms of identity-based hatred.