WUNRN
EUROPEAN UNION SURVEY SHOWS SERIOUS
VIOLENCE AGAINST WOMEN
March
2014 - This FRA (European Union Agency For Fundamental Rights) survey
is the first of its kind on violence against women across the 28 Member States
of the European Union (EU). It is based on interviews with 42,000
women across the EU, who were asked about their experiences of physical, sexual
and psychological violence, including incidents of intimate partner violence
(‘domestic violence’).
Direct Link to Full 2014 Report +
Annexes:
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EU REPORT REVEALS EXTENSIVE VIOLENCE
AGAINST WOMEN
One in three women report physical or sexual abuse since
age of 15, with largest number of victims in
Jane Martinson– 5 March 2014
Violence against women is "an extensive human
rights abuse" across Europe with one in three women
reporting some form of physical or sexual abuse since the age of 15 and 8%
suffering abuse in the last 12 months, according to the largest survey of its
kind on the issue.
The survey, based on interviews
with 42,000 women across 28 EU member states, found extensive abuse across the
continent, which typically goes unreported and undetected by the authorities.
Morten Kjaerum, director of FRA,
the EU Agency for Fundamental Rights, which was responsible for the survey,
said: "Violence against women, and specifically gender-based violence that
disproportionately affects women, is an extensive human rights abuse that the
EU cannot afford to overlook."
The FRA study provides ample
evidence of the size of the problem, as well as suggestions on how to fix it.
In a foreword to the report, Kjaerum calls for all member states to sign and
ratify the Council of Europe Istanbul convention, which demands more protection
for women, as well as action from private and public organisations.
"Action to combat violence against women needs to come from different
quarters – employers, health professionals and internet service
providers."
The report ranks countries in order depending on
the responses to the survey. In three countries often praised for their gender
equality, for example, high numbers of women report suffering violence since
the age of 15: in Denmark
52%, Finland
47%, and Sweden
46% of women say they have suffered physical or sexual violence.
The
Calling for a concerted
international effort to combat such high levels of violence, Kjaerum writes:
"With the publication of the survey and the necessary follow-up measures
by politicians, women who have been victims of violence can be encouraged to speak
up. This is crucial in those countries, and among certain groups, where it is
not yet widespread to openly talk about personal experiences of violence, where
reporting of incidents to the authorities is low, and where violence against
women is not addressed as a mainstream policy issue."
Among the findings, to be
unveiled in
• One in 10 women have
experienced some form of sexual violence since the age of 15, while one in 20
has been raped.
• One in 10 women have been stalked
by a previous partner.
• Most violence is carried out by
a current or former partner, with 22% of women in relationships reporting
partner abuse.
• About one third (31%) who
report being raped by a partner have been repeatedly raped, which the report
defines as six or more times.
• Violence against women is one
of the least reported crimes. Only 14% of women reported their most serious
incident of partner violence to the police, while a similar percentage (13%)
reported their most serious incident of non-partner violence.
• Just over one in 10 women
experienced some form of sexual violence by an adult before they were 15.
Holly Dustin, director of End
Violence Against Women, said the survey highlighted the urgent need for the
The report's authors also urge
special preventive and awareness programmes for young women who are
"particularly vulnerable to victimisation" as well as a focus on men,
who "need to be positively engaged in initiations that confront how some
men use violence against women".
The report echoes a smaller study carried out last
year by the World Health Organisation,
which found that physical or sexual violence is a public health problem that
affects more than one third of all women globally.