FINDINGS FROM EUROPE’S largest ever study on violence against women has found that one in three European women say they have experienced some form of physical or sexual violence since they were 15-years-old.
The research was carried out by the European Agency for Fundamental Rights (EU FRA) found that one in five women have experienced physical or sexual violence by a partner and 43 per cent have experienced some form of psychological violence by either a current or former partner.
Sexual harassment
Over 55 per cent of women said they have experienced some form of sexual harassment with one in three victims saying that the perpetrator was a boss, colleague or customer. One in three women said they had childhood experiences of physical or sexual violence at the hands of an adult.
The survey is believed to be the most comprehensive worldwide study on women’s experience of violence, based on face-to-face interviews with 42,000 women, including 1,500 Irish women, aged between 18 and 74. The women were interviewed in their own homes.
Patricia Prendiville, Irish Board member of the EU FRA, said the figures in this survey “cannot and should not be ignored”.
She added:
Physical sexual and psychological violence against women is an extensive human rights abuse in all EU member states including Ireland.
The full statistics, including initial comparisons for Ireland, will be revealed at a seminar hosted today by SAFE Ireland, the EU FRA, the National Women’s Council of Ireland and Rape Crisis Network Ireland.
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