Violence occurs in a lot of forms, from and towards humans. While we often think of organised crime, shootings, and war, which are especially present in the news and movies, violence happens every day in ordinary life. Domestic as well as sexual violence is often experienced by women for no other reason than the fact that they are women. It is important to categorise violence against women as such to be able to measure discrimination against women.

In Europe, one in three women after the age of 15 has experienced physical or sexual violence. Globally, nearly 40% of murders of women are committed by a male partner, around 137 women get killed by a male partner or relative every day.

Violence against women has many faces. It is domestic violence, sexual harassment, rape, stalking, forced marriages, female genital mutilation, violence in conflict and post-conflict situations such as war… the list goes on. Depending on the age and community there are higher risks for specific forms of violence. But they all are a violation of basic human rights.

Why focus on violence against women? In general, more men are victims of murders. The difference is the intention. Men are more likely killed in random or organised crimes. Women on the other hand are more likely killed by their intimate partner or a family member. While violence against men is also concerning, it is a more general problem of crime, whereas violence against women is often a form of discrimination.

If violence is committed because of the gender of the victim, it is called gender-based violence. Women are more often subject to this as they generally have a lower social and economic status than men. Discrimination is not only the cause but also a result of gender-based violence. There is a long history of men dominating personal relationships as well as professional fields. Women do three times more unpaid work than men, earn 24% less than men and hold not even a quarter of leadership positions in business, politics, and jurisdiction. This economic disadvantage paired with discrimination because of social norms and cultural or religious beliefs leads to a higher risk of experiencing violence.

Additionally, there is a lot of shame surrounding domestic and sexual violence. Especially in one’s own family, it takes a lot of courage to step up and talk about it.

“We are only having fun.”

“My brother would never do this.”

“That’s what happens to women when they dress like that.”

Due to comments like this, disbelief and shaming of the victim, women rarely report the violence they experienced. As a result, it is very hard to estimate the actual dimensions of the problem.

In 2011, a new convention was signed, called the “Istanbul Convention” (Council of Europe Convention on Preventing and Combating Violence Against Women and Domestic Violence). Today, 45 countries which include all the European countries as well as Georgia and Armenia as well as the European Union signed the papers. So far, the convention has been ratified in 39 countries. With their signature, the countries are obliged to act on four main objectives: preventing violence against women, protecting victims, prosecuting perpetrators, and implementing coordinated policies. In 2021, Türkiye became the first country to withdraw its signature.

While this was an important success for the legal recognition of gender-based violence, the reality doesn’t always reflect this progress. There is still a need for the constant fight against violence, both from governmental and non-governmental organizations. There are different actions to take, both on an institutional and personal level.

Most people have someone in their surroundings who has experienced sexual or domestic violence. It is important to listen to and believe survivors to create a safe environment for sharing their stories. Breaking the stigmatism around that topic helps to take action against it. On an institutional level, women’s shelters and helplines are essential for the protection of victims.

To prevent future violence, education is key. The earlier the more effective. Education has to be inclusive for every gender, religion and financial situation. This also includes spreading resources and information about shelters and other services.

In the end, we have to hold each other and the institutions accountable. If at a private party, at work or anywhere else, we can look out for each other.

Johanna Krautkrämer

Sources:

reliefweb.int – 16 Shocking facts about violence against women and girls

who.int – Violence agiants women

undp.org – violence against women, a cause and consequence of inequality

unwomen.org – Take action: 10 ways you can help end violence against women

wikipedia.org – Istanbul Convention