Femicides: Measures by the federal government, cantons and communes take shape
Bern, 22.10.2025 — In view of the alarming number of femicides in Switzerland, the committee responsible for the implementation of the Istanbul Convention on combating violence against women and domestic violence defined three urgent measures in June, focusing on the prevention of violence and protection of victims. Yesterday, the committee, comprising representatives from the federal government, cantons and communes, took stock of the progress made in implementing these measures.
Data shows that domestic, sexual and gender-based violence is a serious problem in Switzerland. In 2024, the police recorded 21 127 offences in the area of domestic violence alone, an increase of 6 % compared to the previous year. According to information provided by NGOs working in this area, the number of femicides also rose in 2025. In light of this worrying situation, the committee responsible for implementing the Istanbul Convention on preventing and combating violence against women and domestic violence decided in June to step up its efforts to ensure the safety of all women and girls in Switzerland. Specific measures were defined, in particular with regard to the protection of victims of violence, the prevention of violence, and the training of specialists. At its meeting on Tuesday, the committee – made up of representatives of the federal government, cantons and communes, and coordinated by the Federal Office for Gender Equality (FOGE) – reviewed the progress made so far in implementing the measures in these three areas.
Development of regional solutions to increase the number of places in shelters and emergency accommodation
The dispatch on the partial revision of the Victim Support Act was adopted by the Federal Council today. It includes obligations to provide shelters, emergency accommodation and follow-up solutions, as requested by the cantons during the consultation process. At the same time, a working group convened by the Swiss Conference of Cantonal Directors of Social Services (CDSS) has drawn up a proposal, which will be submitted to the CDSS plenary assembly on 7 November for approval. The proposal includes measures that aim to make accommodation more inclusive, expand follow-up solutions after a person's stay in a shelter or emergency accommodation, and strengthen cooperation at regional level – challenges that were pointed out in the analysis report commissioned by the CDSS on 12 November 2024 and the Federal Council report of 25 June 2025.
Strengthening violence prevention during separation phases: further training for specialists, and updated standardised approaches
Separations are high-risk phases: recognising domestic violence during such phases can save lives. An updated version of the Swiss Conference on Combating Domestic Violence's guide ‘Kontakt nach häuslicher Gewalt?’ (Contact after domestic violence?) is therefore being published today. The guide will be made available to relevant professionals throughout Switzerland, alongside a practical tool for identifying domestic violence in divorce and separation proceedings that has proven useful in the canton of Vaud.
The training and professional development of specialists is also being enhanced: by the end of the year, minimum standards will be in place for other groups of professionals, including social workers, psychiatrists and psychologists. These minimum standards complement existing ones for professional groups frequently confronted with victims of violence, including legal and healthcare professionals. The federal government and cantons will help to raise awareness of this information in the relevant professional bodies.
Systematic inter-institutional monitoring of femicide cases
Intensive work is under way on creating a strong foundation for the systematic inter-institutional monitoring of femicide cases with the primary aim of ensuring better victim protection and preventing further femicides. The executive committee of the Conference of Cantonal Justice and Police Directors (CCJPD) has decided to review existing quality standards for threat management at cantonal level. This will improve the investigation of femicides by involving all the relevant authorities. In addition, the CCJPD executive board has approved a project aimed at strengthening the legal framework for tackling domestic violence. The cantons will be equipped with tools to improve their legislation, for example by optimising the exchange of information between authorities. In addition, in November 2025, the Federal Statistical Office will publish a special analysis of all homicides committed between 2019 and 2023 aimed at gaining a greater understanding of the circumstances and causes of these crimes. This survey follows on from earlier studies which showed that around half of all homicides took place in the domestic sphere, with women being the predominant victims. With this information available, the competent authorities can decide on how to proceed in such cases.
These measures form part of the federal and cantonal policy on combating gender-based violence. Switzerland ratified the Istanbul Convention in 2018. The Federal Council then adopted a National Action Plan (NAP IC) comprising 44 measures across three key areas: raising awareness, education and training, and sexual violence. In 2021, it also adopted a roadmap on domestic violence. This initiative, coordinated by the Federal Department of Justice and Police, covers areas such as threat management, electronic surveillance and victim support. A final assessment of the implementation of the NAP IC will be made in 2026, in line with the final work on the roadmap. The future direction of the strategy to prevent and combat gender-based, sexual and domestic violence in Switzerland will be determined at the next National Dialogue.
In order to prevent violence at an early stage, the federal government will launch a national, multi-year prevention campaign against domestic, sexual and gender-based violence on 11 November. The campaign will be carried out in collaboration with a broad alliance of federal and cantonal authorities and non-governmental organisations, and will be overseen by Federal Councillor Elisabeth Baume-Schneider.
Implementation of the Istanbul Convention in Switzerland
Domestic violence: Roadmap by the Confederation and cantons
Handbook on domestic violence - What contact should there be after the parents separate? - CSVD
Stop Femicide – Research project on femicides in Switzerland