'Invisible epidemic': third of women in EU have faced violence, survey finds

Every third woman across the EU has experienced physical violence, including threats, or sexual violence, a survey has revealed, in what one official described as an "invisible epidemic".

- Ashifa Kassam

The findings, which were released yesterday, stem from surveys of women aged 18 to 74 across the EU's 27 member states.

Sirpa Rautio, the director of the EU's Agency for Fundamental Rights, said the findings offered a glimpse of the wide-reaching impact that violence has had on the 229 million women who live across the bloc.

"One-third of them have been slapped, hit, kicked, raped or threatened with such violence," she said. "In the EU, in 2024, women's safety still cannot be guaranteed."

In what she described as a "sad reality", the figures remain virtually unchanged from those published in a 2014 EU-wide survey on violence against women. "A decade later, we continue to witness the same shocking levels of violence that affect one in three women," Rautio said.

The survey, released on the International Day for the Elimination of Violence Against Women, also found that one in six women in the EU had experienced sexual violence, including rape, during adulthood.

About 19% of women said they had faced violence or threats of violence from a person living in their household. "The home is still a dangerous place for many women," said Rautio.