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Facts and Figures about gender equality in Europe |
Facts and figures about the situation of women in Europe
Despite legislation on gender equality and progress made in the last 50 years, women still face major obstacles in all areas of life and don't enjoy equal rights globally. The following figures give examples of the discrimination faced by women in the European Union. The links section directs you to websites, where you can find further statistics.
Women and poverty
At-risk-of-poverty rate after social transfers in EU member states and acceding countries in 2001[1]:
- Women: 16%
- Men: 14%
Women and health
Percentages of adult population with HIV (15-49 years of age): Eastern Europe and Central Asia [2]
- 1995: 28 % women; 72 % men
- 2002: 33 % women; 67 % men
- 2004: 34 % women; 66 % men
Women and the economy
Gender pay gap (average gross hourly earning of women as a percentage of men’s)[3]: 15 old EU Member States
- 1995: 17%
- 2001: 16%
Unemployment rates (EU-15) [4]
Women Men
- 1994: 12,7 % 9,9 %
- 2000: 9,7 % 7,0 %
- 2001: 8,7 % 6,4 %
Long-term unemployment rates, i.e. 12 months or more (EU-15) [5]
Women Men
- 1994: 6,3 % 4,6 %
- 2000: 4,5 % 3,1 %
Part-time employment (EU-wide)[6]
- 33 % of women in employment are working part-time
- 6 % of men in employment are working part-time
Women in decision making
Representation of women in the European Parliament:
- 1995: 26.8%
- 2004: 30.3% women
Representation of women in national Parliaments[7]:
15 old EU Member States:
- 1996: 14.8%
- 2004: 25.9%
25 Member States and accessing countries:
- 2004: 20.1%
Managers (15 EU Member States)[8]:
- 1995: 30% women
- 2002: 30% women
Violence against women
Domestic violence
- In the EU 1 in 5 women experience violence by their intimate male partner. 95 % of all acts of VAW take place within the home.[9]
- 6 women die every month in France as a result of domestic violence,[10] in the UK: 8 women every month,[11] in Finland: 27 per year.[12]
Sexual harassment
Between 40 and 50 % of female employees have experienced some form of sexual harassment or unwanted sexual behaviour in the workplace.[13]
Violence experienced by women in prostitution
- The average age of women entering into prostitution is 13 or 14; there is no evidence to suggest that this age is decreasing.[14]
- Data provided by the British Medical Journal on the experience of client violence against women prostitutes indicates that 93 % of women had an experience of client violence. [15]
- Around 80 % of women in prostitution have been sexually abused in their childhood. [16]
Rape [17]
Reported numbers of rape in England and Wales (in 2001): 9743 cases; Germany (in 2001): 7891 cases.
Trafficking in women : Approximately 500,000 women are annually trafficked into Western Europe.
Legalisation of prostitution in the Netherlands:
- A new professional category that of “businessmen/pimp” has exploded in the Netherlands transforming the local market into a huge centre for international prostitution:
- In 1981 there were 2 500 prostitutes, 10 000 in 1985, 20 000 in 1989 and 25 000 on 2003.[18]
Useful links:Statistics on gender issues - European Commission:
http://www.europa.eu.int/comm/employment_social/equ_opp/statistics_en.htmlAnnual reports of the European Commission on gender equality contain statistics:
http://www.europa.eu.int/comm/employment_social/equ_opp/report_en.htmlEuropean Commission database, Women and men in decision-making:
http://www.europa.eu.int/comm/employment_social/women_men_stats/index_en.htmInter-parliamentary Union: Women in National Parliaments website:
http://www.ipu.org/wmn-e/classif.htmUnited Nations - statistics on women and men:
http://unstats.un.org/unsd/demographic/products/indwm/United Nations Economic Commission for Europe - Gender Statistics website for European and North America: http://www.unece.org/stats/gender/web/
World Bank database of gender statistics: http://devdata.worldbank.org/genderstats/home.asp
[1] The social situation in the European Union. 2003, European Commission, 2003
[2] “AIDS epidemic update: December 2004”, UNAIDS/WHO, 2004