Violence against women common in Eastern Europe: OSCE

By Dilara Hamit

ANKARA (AA) - Nearly 16 million women in Eastern Europe have experienced violence and abuse, the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE) reported Wednesday.

The survey results from eight countries found that 70 percent of women age 18-74 have experienced some form of sexual harassment, stalking, intimate partner violence, or non-partner violence since the age of 15.

"45 percent of women, or approximately 10.2 million women, have experienced sexual harassment, including harassment via the Internet," said the OSCE report.

Roughly 4.4 million women have experienced physical and/or sexual violence from non-partners, while around 4.9 million have experienced it from partners, it said.

Psychological violence is the most widespread form of intimate partner violence reported in the survey, with 60 percent of women who have been in a relationship experiencing this from a partner, it said.

According to the report, some groups of women are at a higher risk, including women who are poorer, economically dependent, or childbearing.

"Based on the data gathered, it is clear that women do not report the vast majority of incidents to the police and that they rarely seek support from other institutions," the report said.

OSCE Secretary-General Thomas Greminger said violence against women in the surveyed area should not be overlooked any longer.

"Ultimately, we need to use the results to achieve specific policy goals,” he urged, including “reduced violence against women, improved services for survivors and greater security for women and girls overall."

The OSCE report was based on interviews in Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Montenegro, North Macedonia, Serbia, Moldova, Ukraine, and Kosovo.