November 25 marks the International Day for the Elimination of Violence Against Women. Almost a year ago, on this occasion, the European Institute of the Mediterranean, (IEMed) in collaboration with the Euro-Mediterranean Women’s Foundation (EMWF), organized an online seminar on violence based on gender (GBV).

The seminar aimed to initiate a discussion between experts and activists from Lebanon, Egypt, and Syria to examine the increase in gender-based violence accompanying the Covid-19 pandemic in 2020, the modalities of this violence, and the responses of local and regional Euro-Mediterranean initiatives.

Within this framework, this article aims to highlight violence against women in this region and the initiatives deployed by associations and public authorities to combat it. Considering the scope and complexity of the Middle East and North Africa region, this article does not have an exhaustive ambition and is based on data and analyses produced by local civil society organisations of our network and by international organisations.