A stark reality looms before us: close to half of all European women will endure the harrowing agony of domestic violence in their lifetime. Moreover, the haunting toll of at least 6,593 women killed by a male family member or partner between 2010 and 2021 does little to ease the ache of hearts that are pierced by grief. This sobering truth is a glaring reminder of the imperative need to continue the fight for a Europe (and a world) where every woman can flourish in safety, free from the chains of abuse and oppression.
Despite the EU’s reputation for progressivism, for its value-based aspect, and its Nobel Peace Prize, European governments are not collecting reliable and comparable data on domestic violence, rape, and femicide – just to name a few. Furthermore, there is inconsistency in legal definitions and criminalisation of gender-based violence. It is ironic that the EU, which is known for its norms and values (human rights, equality, human dignity, freedom, rule of law, and democracy), is failing to address this “silent war on women”.
Now that I have gotten your attention, let’s dive into the nitty-gritty stuff and get to the heart of the matter.
What’s this guy’s deal with blabbering about this topic anyway?
Data and definitions are crucial for identifying and addressing issues related to social inequality. The lack of data and definitions (or well the absence of consistent and reliable data) can make it difficult to measure progress and identify areas that require improvement. However, in the spirit of recent local issues and the 8th of March, the scope of this article will be to focus on a subcategory of social inequality (furthermore, addressing this topic in its entirety would be an enormous undertaking, quite a behemoth task): gender equality. By delving into the belly of the beast of inequality here I hope we can understand a bit more that in our society we still have unequal treatment, opportunities, and outcomes that individuals face based on their gender.
This social issue affects both men and women, but can disproportionately impact women, leading to discrimination, poverty, and violence. In various aspects of life, including education, employment, politics, social norms etc; gender inequality can limit women’s access to healthcare, education, and economic and political opportunities, whilst potentially perpetuating harmful gender stereotypes and norms.
Oh where, oh where is the data?
The absence of consistent and reliable data, along with the lack of cross-border frameworks, weakens both national (member state) and the EU-wide efforts to achieve justice, protection, and convictions in cases of violence against women. With the COVID-19 pandemic and the (on-going) war in Ukraine already straining state resources across Europe, NGOs are bearing the brunt of meeting women’s needs. Additionally, authorities’ inability to collect accurate data or define domestic violence and femicide further complicates the situation.
The European Commission lacks a clear overview of the situation regarding violence against women in the EU, and even when asked for figures and trends, they do not have a complete answer. Additionally, the European Women’s Lobby highlights the issue of a lack of data and proper definitions of femicide and domestic violence at both levels of governance, leading to the underestimation of the scale of the problem. Women’s organisations report that existing figures do not provide a complete picture, making it difficult to fully address the issue with policies currently in place. The lack of comparable EU-wide data on violence against women has resulting in the EU not receiving a score in this domain, which is something that simply cannot and should not be happening in this day and age.
We are all too familiar with the prevalence of femicide…
UN Women defines femicide as “an intentional killing with a gender-related motivation”. Yet, several European countries lack reliable data on femicide, domestic violence, and convictions.
For example: in France, femicide is not legally recognized, while NGOs are largely responsible for keeping track of cases. Austria, Belgium, Bulgarian, and Germany also fail to maintain centralised records of femicide and domestic violence, with some countries authorities fail to gather information on rape as well. The Czech Republic records instances of violence against women but does not recognize the concept of domestic violence. In Albania, domestic violence is classified as `family violence`, and femicide is not legally defined.
This behaviour risks further holes in the data that lays the foundation for policy development, to inevitably actually wage an effective war on gender-based violence.
Violations on other fronts
There is divergence among EU member states in criminalising psychological violence and coercive control, with only 4 EU member-states being compliant with the article on psychological violence in the Istanbul Convention. A 2022 report found that a whopping 44% of women in the EU have experienced psychological violence, emotional abuse, or coercive control in their lifetime.
This is very much a serious problem, and deeply concerning, all of which goes against the very values of equality, respect, and human rights that the EU upholds and preaches internationally. It is important to take a strong stance against violence towards women and to work towards creating safer communities for everyone.
However, it is crucial to recognise that responsibility for this issue is not solely on the EU’s fault, but shared by its member states as well. Across Europe, low conviction rates in cases of violence against women are preventing victims from reporting crimes against them. A lack of trust in the judiciary and high rates of cases dismissed for lack of evidence or an unknown perpetrator contribute to this problem.
For example, in Belgium, 53% of rape cases are dismissed, while in France only 1% of complaints result in conviction. Increasing conviction rates requires clearer recognition of violence against women, and better recording of these crimes. Additionally, a more common method of documenting and measuring such pervasive crimes would help authorities actually address the situation.
Roughly what has been done so far?
The European Institute for Gender Equality (EIGE) is working to gather data from each member state on violence against women, but the collected data is not up to date. However, this proposed system regarding data gathering would extend well beyond the intimate partner violence. The EU has established a common helpline number for women experiencing violence and proposed a directive on combating violence against women and domestic violence. The European Women’s Lobby is calling for swift adoption of the directive and final ratification of the Istanbul Convention, despite opposition from 6 member states.
This is merely the beginning. We need to continue to improve and take further action. One critical step towards addressing such major disparities within our society is acknowledging that there is a problem both within the society, and within the systems meant to run it.
Food for thought to ponder over.
Gender inequality is an essential social issue that demands attention and action from individuals, communities, policymakers and the EU itself in order to promote gender equity and ensure equal opportunities for all individuals, regardless of their gender. Although International Women’s Day has passed, the fight against gender inequality must continue to achieve a more equal, just, and inclusive society.
This article was written by an independent writer whose views are not associated with The Third Eye. The Third Eye strives to be the student’s voice, and that entails giving them a platform to voice their opinions.