Estonia - Universal Periodic Review - Gender-based Violence Against Women - October 2025
Country: Estonia
Issues: Gender-Based Violence
Mechanism: UN Universal Periodic Review
Report Type: Stakeholder Report
Estonia is not in compliance with its human rights obligations toward women in all their diversities (hereinafter "all women") and specifically has not fulfilled in its obligation to protect, prosecute, and prevent sexual violence, ensure access to justice and remedy; and eliminate violence against women, including domestic violence against women with disabilities. This report recommends Estonia to adopt several key measures to ensure better protection and prevention for all women.
These steps, among other things, include (1) adopting a consent-based legal definition of rape in line with international standards; (2) eliminating barriers and stereotypes within the justice system and law enforcement that impede survivors from accessing justice and protection; (3) strengthening police and judicial responses, including gender-sensitive and disability-sensitive training, effective enforcement of barring orders, and improved inter-agency cooperation; (4) ensuring accessibility of shelters and victim support services, particularly for women with disabilities; and (5) collecting and publishing disaggregated data to make visible the prevalence and characteristics of violence against women.
