Country Focus

Belgium

Bulgaria

The implementation of the Law on Protection Against Domestic Violence, in force since 2005, is relatively good thanks to the increased awareness of judges and police and  (...) Read more

Croatia

In 2008, after 20 years of feminist movement against violence against women in Croatia, women NGOs finally succeeded in their efforts to include autonomous women’s shelters as  (...) Read more

Cyprus

A continuous emphasis on ‘family violence’ reveals a general lack of awareness of other forms of VAW, such as rape, honour-related violence, sexual assault, trafficking and  (...) Read more

Czech Republic

Denmark

In the period 2000-2005/2006, the prevalence of partner violence (annual number of victims of violence by current or ex-partner or dating boyfriend per 1.000 women) has  (...) Read more

Estonia

Estonia regained independence in 1991. During the fifty years of Soviet rule, Estonia the idea of the so-called „full equality” between women and men. Gender roles and gender  (...) Read more

Finland

Finland, often assumed to be a paradise for women, has only one shelter place for 45 000 people and is, unlike most other Europeans countries, still waiting for a National  (...) Read more

France

Germany

The German federal government funds three national coordination centers of services: one for shelters, one for women’s counseling centers and (rape) hotlines, and one for  (...) Read more

Greece

Hungary

Iceland

According to a large opinion poll in Iceland, there is majority among both women and men and in every political party for criminalising the buying of prostitution. If only the  (...) Read more

Ireland

Speaking outside the Dail on November 24th 2008, Margaret Martin, of Women’s Aid said: “We are using the symbol of the wedding dress and the bride, significant symbols of  (...) Read more

Italy

The Equal Opportunities’ Department offers economic supports to associations and cooperatives working in helping victims of trafficking in persons since 1999. Over eight  (...) Read more

Latvia

National law fails to protect women from violence. Latvia has one of the porrest legislation providing support for women suffering from a partner’s violence in Europe. At the  (...) Read more

Lithuania

Consolidated actions to prevent and combat violence against women resulted in more prevention and support services available and accessible in Lithuania, comparing with  (...) Read more

Luxembourg

In 2007, 435 police interventions in cases of violence against women were reported. In the same year, there were 53 judgments related to domestic violence.
90.000 Euro are  (...) Read more

Malta

Poland

Annually there are around 81.000 cases of domestic violence crimes directed against women in Poland. 300 in every 1.000 murders are so called “family misunderstandings”.  (...) Read more

Portugal

In Portugal, one in 4 women is a victim/survivor of domestic violence. No information is available about how many cases of domestic violence have been brought to court or even  (...) Read more

Romania

Serbia

18 years of women’s movement against male violence: 35 women’s organizations continuously work on service development and legislative changes: violence in family a separate  (...) Read more

Slovakia

Slovenia

Every fifth woman beaten! Every seventh raped!
Even though data collection about violence against women in Slovenia is often insufficient and imprecise (not clearly  (...) Read more

Spain

In 2007 in Spain there were 71 women killed because of gender based-violence, by their husbands, ex-husbands, intimate partners, current or ex-fiancée.
The victims were between  (...) Read more

Sweden

Increasing numbers of violence against women!
In 2007, 27.000 incidents of VAW were reported to the police in Sweden, about 5.000 of those being cases of rape. 21% of  (...) Read more

The Netherlands

The barring order allows to evict the perpetrator for ten days if the perpetrators’ behavior constitutes a risk for the victim’s safety; if the risks continues it can be  (...) Read more

Turkey

Positive legal reforms, limited real changes
Although improved legislation was put in place, enforcement of these laws remains limited. Awareness regarding violence against  (...) Read more

Ukraine

During last years, Ukraine has taken considerable steps to combat violence in family and human trafficking. But, there are no clauses in the Ukrainian legislation aimed at  (...) Read more

United Kingdom

Today there is an undeclared war against women in this country. (...) Each year some three million women face will experience violence in one form or another. (...) On average  (...) Read more