Gender-based violence is a “silent epidemic”. This is the conclusion of the European Agency for Fundamental Rights on data provided by a macro-survey carried out between September 2020 and March 2024 based on interviews with more than 114,000 women across the continent: almost a third of European women (30.7%) have experienced gender-based violence, including psychological, physical, threats and sexual violence. The percentage is quite similar in the case of violence perpetrated by a spouse or ex-partner: 31.8% of women have suffered it throughout their lives. One in six women (17%) have been victims of sexual violence (including rape or other degrading acts).
The survey carried out by the European statistical office Eurostat shows a big difference between countries and places Spain slightly below the average (28.2%). Finland (57.1%) and Sweden (52.5%) have the highest rates of violence, as well as some Eastern countries like Hungary (49.1%) and Romania (42.2%). %). According to the promoters of the survey, the causes of these differences are multiple but, in the case of the “Scandinavian paradox”, they emphasize that the greater progress in equality policies means that “we can talk about violence without being blamed or without it being a problem.” shame.”
And more than a third of victims don’t even talk about it (64% share it with their friends or those around them). And the figures for complaints to the police or social services: only one in four people officially contact the police or authorities and only one in five contacted health services after the incident.
“Some women think it’s not safe, they don’t trust the authorities or think they won’t be taken seriously,” explains Sirpa Rautio, director of the Fundamental Rights Agency (FRA), who points out also “shame” as a problem. contributing factor to silence.
“We must work on several fronts: prevention, better support, guaranteeing that they are treated with dignity and respect, that they are taken seriously and without delay,” adds Rautio, who also highlights the need to improve the services that are offered to them. on the “front line” with, among other things, training for their workers or their media.
By age, the highest percentage of women reporting having suffered violence are the youngest: 25.6% of those between 18 and 29 years old; 23.1% of 30-44 year olds; 18.8% of those aged between 45 and 64; and 13.1% over 65 years old.
30.8% of European women also report having experienced harassment at work throughout their lives. Here again, Spain is slightly below the average (28.2%) while Sweden (55.4%) or Finland (53.7%) are again in the lead alongside certain countries of the East, like Slovakia (53%).
“The situation is getting worse. We do not see much progress compared to the 2014 survey”, warns Carlien Scheele, director of the European Women’s Institute, which she considers “very worrying”. Among the explanations he gives concerning this worsening, there is “the sharp increase in anti-gender narratives” and he also sees a “signal” in social media posts in which “women are seen as a possession”.
The FRA director acknowledges that there is a “wide” range of measures to combat gender-based violence, such as the ratification of the Istanbul Convention and European directives, but considers that greater “implementation » of these policies is necessary to see results.
