The statistics are sobering: one in every four women will be exposed to domestic violence at some time in their lives. Even worse, according to a report from the World Health Organization, one in every three women worldwide has been beaten, abused and forced to have sexual intercourse at least once – usually by someone they know.
Though the figures fluctuate in different parts of the world, they’re still arresting. In the United States, 20 per cent of women – one in every five – is a victim of domestic violence; in the developing world, the number rises to half of all women.
Looking at specific countries, the figures are often surprising. In modern metropolitan South Korea, for example, two-thirds of women claim regular beatings by their husbands.
And in many cases, such violence can result in murder. Figures for 2005 show that an alarming 1,181 women were killed in the United States by their spouse or partner. In France, 156 women were killed by their partners in 2008. The year before, 22 women died at the hands of a husband, boyfriend or lover each day in 2007. And in the decade up to 2012, some 4.675 women died as a result of domestic violence in Turkey.
That’s not to mention the 5,000 women who die in so-called ‘honour killings’ every year around the world, while an incredible 100,000 young girls are kidnapped and sold into sex slavery.
In Russia, out of a population of 143 million, as many as 14,000 women’s lives are at risk as a result of domestic violence annually. Previously domestic violence was seen as an issue to be resolved between the people involved, but Russia has taken action with new legislation to make domestic violence a serious crime.
In Ireland, domestic violence is a daily reality for thousands of women. Research shows that one in every seven women has suffered severe abuse by their partners. The Women’s Aid helpline answers almost 12,000 calls every year. One in three of these related to physical violence, another 13 per cent to sexual abuse.
According to a report from Amnesty International, most reports of violence against women do not result in a conviction and there is little monitoring of the effectiveness of legal and other measures to prevent, identify, investigate and punish this violence.
Colm O’Gorman, executive director of Amnesty’s Irish section, says: “Ireland is in the minority of countries in Europe that have not signed the Council of Europe Convention on Violence Against Women and Domestic Violence, despite committing to do so at a meeting of the UN Human Rights Council.
“The Government can strengthen protections in Ireland for women and girls living in fear of violence by signing and ratifying this treaty,” he added.
The convention in question is the first of its kind to tackle the scourge of domestic violence head on, and is considered very important as a binding force to prompt strong action against the perpetrators of such heinous acts. In other words, action to prevent violence against women must start at the top, both through stronger legislation and punishments, and better education in societies everywhere.
Eda Halis is an undergraduate student in Istanbul, Turkey and a former intern with Metro Éireann.
