What is the true scale of violence against women across Europe, and why does so much of it remain hidden? The European Union Agency for Fundamental Rights (2014) presents findings from 42,000 women across 28 member states, exposing pervasive abuse alongside severe under-reporting.
Based on in-depth interviews with women across all 28 EU member states, the report establishes that gender-based violence is an extensive human rights violation that European institutions and national governments cannot afford to overlook. The survey gathered comprehensive evidence on women’s experiences with physical, sexual, and psychological violence, including intimate partner abuse, stalking, sexual harassment, abuse facilitated by new technologies, and violence endured during childhood. The findings reveal that one in ten women has experienced sexual violence since the age of 15, one in twenty has been raped, and more than one in five has suffered physical or sexual violence from a partner. In addition, more than one in ten women experienced sexual abuse by an adult before turning 15. Despite this high prevalence, abuse is systematically hidden from authorities: only 14% of women reported their most severe incident of intimate partner violence to the police, and only 13% reported their most severe incident involving a non-partner.
Responding to long-standing calls for robust, comparable data from the Council of Europe, the UN Committee on the Elimination of Discrimination against Women, and Council of the EU Presidencies, the report provides concrete empirical grounding for policymaking. The findings supply vital justification for EU member states to ratify the Istanbul Convention, for the EU to pursue accession, and for governments to enforce protective instruments such as the Victims’ Directive, the European Protection Order, and civil protection mechanisms. Beyond legislative responses, the Agency emphasizes that tackling this crisis requires involvement across multiple sectors—including employers, healthcare professionals, and internet service providers. By breaking down barriers to disclosure and providing reliable evidence, the survey aims to empower victims to speak out, confront perpetrators, and ensure that gender-based violence is treated as a mainstream policy priority across Europe.
Learn more about this survey report here:
European Union Agency for Fundamental Rights. (2014). Violence against women :an EU wide survey: Main results. Publications Office. https://doi.org/10.2811/62230