Report on Launch Conference on Violence against women across the EU
Abuse at home, work, in public and online
European Union Agency for Fundamental Rights (FRA)
Grace Attard
The survey is based on interviews with 42,000 women from across the 28 Member States of the EU. It reveals that violence against women and more particularly gender-based violence disproportionately affects women, families, friends and society as a whole.
The survey asked women about their experiences of physical, sexual and psychological violence, including incidents of intimate partner violence (domestic violence) and also asked about stalking, including through internet and mobile messages, sexual harassment, violence in childhood and fear of victimisation
The survey findings reveal that violence against women is an extensive but widely under-reported human rights abuse across the EU.
Overall extent and nature of violence against women including intimate partner violence.
About 8% of women have experienced physical and /or sexual violence in the last 12 months before the survey interview and one in three women has experienced some form of physical and /or sexual assault since the age of 15
One in 10 women has experienced some form of sexual violence since the age of 15, and one in 20 women have been raped since the age of 15. Of those women in the suvey who say they have experienced sexual violence since the age of 15, almost one in 10 indicate that more than one perpetrator was involved in the most serious incident
Of women who have been in a relationship with a man, 22% have experienced physical and/or sexual violence
Of women in the survey who indicate they have been raped by their current partner, about one third (31%) say they have experienced six or more incidents of rape by their partner, Many have experienced several incidents of marital rape. Evidence shows that a significant number of women continue to be vulnerable in the aftermath of violent relationships.The survey results also show a relationship between a woman’s partner’s heavy alcohol abuse and increased violence. The findings show that repeat victimisation on many women’s lives is a particular characteristic of intimate partner violence
Consequences of physical and sexual violence against women including intimate partner violence
reporting rates of incidents of violence against women to the police and other services are low (between one in three and one in four). Women experience several incidents of abuse by a partner before they decide to report, whereas non-partner violence reporting is more likely. In particular the findings reveal the victim’s lack of satisfaction with the police. The survey indicates that pregnant women are vulnerable to violence. The survey shows that 87% of women would find it acceptable if doctors routinely ask about violence if patients exhibit certain injuries
Compared to the number of women who contacted healthcare survices as a result of violence, few women contacted victim support organisations or women’s shelters. About one in four victims of sexual asault by either a partner or a non-partner did not contact the police or any other organisation after a most serious incident because of feelings of shame and embarassment
Psychological partner violence against women
Psychological violence by partner sis widespread. The survey results show that two in five women (43%) have experienced some form of psychological voielence, either by a current or a previous partner. 25% have been belittled, 14% whose partner has threatened to hurt them physically and 5 % whose partner has forbidden them to leave the house or locked them up or taken away their car keys.Employers and Trade Unions should consider adopting awareness raising and related training activities for responsible personnel to help them identify and respond to the needs pof employees suffering from psycholigically controlling behaviour by partner
Experience of stalking
The findings show that one in five women have experienced some form of stalking since the age of 15. However one in four stalking cases reported in the survey never came to the attention of the police.
Internet and the social media
Of victims of stalking 23% indicate in the survey that they had to change their email address or pohoine umber in respnse to the most serious incidents. The police need to investigate where cyberstalking plays a role
Vulnerabilities of professional women alongside other women
Between 64% and 75% of women in a professional capacity or in top management jobs have experienced sexual harassment in their lifetime. One in 10 women have experienced inappropriate advances on social websites or have been subjected to emails or text messages (SMS), young women in particular.
Experiences of violence in childhood
The scale of childhood abuse and under-reporting
Just over one in 10 women (12%) has experienced some form of sexual abuse or incident by an adult before the age of 15. Some 27% of women have experienced some form of physical abuse in childhood before the age of 15 at thehands of an adult. In 97% of cases of sexual violence in chidlhood the perpetrator was male whereas in cases of physical violence only slightly more cases were attributed to men than to women
Ways forward
The study presents the EU and Member states with the most comprehensive EU-wide dataset on violence agaisnt women which can serve to inform policy responses and action based on the evidence of the findings themselves.
The European Parliamentary Research Service (EPRS) provided the most recent studies carried out, following an earlier publication in June 2013. A summary of the key points of the CoE Convention on preventing and combating violence against women and domestic violence (Istanbul Convention ) was also highlighted duirng the Conference. So far only 4 Member States have ratified the Convention. It requires the ratification of at least 10 member states before it can come into force, after the necessary amendments are made in national laws in harmony with the Convention. However, reservations on the most sensitive aspects of the Convention by Member States can reduce the overall impact of the Convention
The CoE Convention is the first European legally-binding instrument devoted to violence against women. The Istanbul Convention recognises female genital mutilation (FGM) as a form of violence. Sanctions need to be effective, proportionate and dissuasive Justification of the basis of culture, religion or tradition may not be used in order to lessen the punishment
Although the EU has several directives and has carried out vast research studies on violence against women, so far it has no binding instrument designed specifically to protect women from violence. The topic falls under the competence of National Governments. Parliament has repeatedly called for a European Strategy to counter violence against women including a leglly binding instrument.
Recently, in its resolution of the 6 February 2013, Parliament called once again on the Commission to devise an EU strategy for tackling violence against women, which would include the drafting of a directive laying down minimum standards . Finally in Janaury 2014 the FEMM Committee adopted a legislative initiative report wih recommendations to the Commision on combating violence agaiant women ( rapporteur Antonjia Parvanova, ALDE, Bulgaria)
The Conference was attended by representatives of governments of Member States, a vast number of leading women and men working on gender equality in the EU and representatives of national governments and organisations of countries outside the EU
Useful websites
http://www.eprs.ep.parl.union.eu
http://epthinktank.eu
eprs@ep.europa.eu
Technical Report - http://fra.europa.eu/en/publication/2014/vaw-survey-technical-report
http://fra.europa.eu/en/publication/2014/vaw-survey-results-at-a-glance
fra.europa.eu
E-learning course on Female genital mutilation (FGM): www.uefgm.org