One-third of European women experience sexual violence

The European Union, in its recent report, warned that one in three women within the bloc has been a victim of gender-based violence. The European Commission emphasized: “Many women have been subjected to sexual harassment in the workplace or have had abusive partners during their lives.”

According to the Commission, the alarming part is that such violence is underreported compared to other issues, meaning the actual rate of sexual violence against women is higher than official figures indicate.

The United Nations, citing World Health Organization (WHO) data on the lives of European women and girls, wrote: “Millions of survivors of sexual violence are left without access to lifesaving medical and psychological care that must be time-sensitive and trauma-informed.”

WHO statistics show that 28.6% of European women and girls over the age of 15 have experienced physical or sexual violence in their lifetime. According to the report, survivors often avoid reporting incidents to police due to fear, shame, or concerns related to child custody. As a result, official data records only a fraction of the actual violence.

The WHO also made reference to the occupied Palestinian territories, noting that Israel has refused to provide data on sexual violence against Israeli women, leaving the scope of the issue unreported.