“Critically inadequate“: this is how the World Health Organization (WHO) describes the health sector’s response to violence against women and girls in Europe, “leaving millions of survivors without access to life-saving and time-sensitive medical and psychological care.”
Presented on 20 November in Madrid with the Spanish Ministry of Health, the new WHO report ” Care, courage, change: health sector leadership in ending violence against women and girls” indicates that 28.6% of women and girls aged 15 and older in the WHO European Region will experience physical and/or sexual violence during their lifetime.
A “staggering” statistic says the WHO. The WHO European Region counts 53 countries, including many non-EU members such as the United Kingdom, Switzerland, and Israel, as well as Ukraine, Russia, and Uzbekistan.
Only 7 countries in Europe offer safe abortion services
Among these 53 countries, only 7 (13%) offer safe abortion services, 17 (32%) offer emergency contraception, and 17 (32%) offer HIV post-exposure prophylaxis. Only 20 countries (38%) offer prophylaxis against sexually transmitted infections, 20 (38%) provide mental health assessment, and 23 (43%) offer mental health referrals.
In addition, nearly one-third of countries (32%) still require healthcare professionals to report cases of domestic violence or intimate partner violence to the police without the consent of adult survivors. The WHO strongly advises against this practice, as it undermines survivors’ autonomy and violates professional confidentiality; it is known to deter women from seeking help.
EU countries where domestic violence is most prevalent
What about the situation within the EU? Hungary is the country where the prevalence of violence perpetrated by a partner is the highest: 42.2% of Hungarian women experience it at some point in their lives. Finland (37.4%) and Romania (34.5%) follow.
These levels are also high in Cyprus (32.3%), Luxembourg (29.8%), Slovakia (27.7%), and Denmark (27.2%). In France, Spain, the Netherlands, and Belgium, 18.9%, 18.3%, 17.3%, and 17.2% of women, respectively, experience violence from their partner during their lifetime.
No figures are given for Russia and Israel. The report states in its opening pages that “gaps in the data prevent a comprehensive overview. Prevalence varies considerably across countries, influenced by cultural norms, stigma, and underreporting, among other factors.
“Survivors often avoid the police due to fear, shame, or risks to custody of children or legal status – especially in systems that fail to protect them. (…) As a result, official data capture only a fraction of the violence, masking its true scale and hindering effective policy and service responses.”
Among the positive points highlighted by the WHO is the example set by Spain.
During the presentation of the report, the Director of WHO Europe, Hans Henri Kluge, praised Spain “for its comprehensive, coordinated approach to ending violence against women. It provides clear clinical guidance for health workers on violence against women and girls, while also integrating violence prevention into core health policy. Spain demonstrates how health, justice and social systems can work together to deliver survivor-centred care.”
The report also notes “some areas of progress and hope. For example, 75% of countries in the Region have policies supporting the training of health professionals on violence against women and girls. In addition, more than two-thirds (68%) of countries now include first-line support for survivors – a minimum standard of compassionate, nonjudgmental care.”