Survey Finds Finland Reports Highest Rate of Gender-Based Violence in EU

• Finland records the most reported cases of gender-based violence in the EU, a new survey indicates
• 57.1% of Finnish women between the ages of 18 and 74 reported they have experienced physical violence
• This is way lower compared to the EU average of 30.7%

A survey conducted by the European Union Agency for Fundamental Rights (FRA), European Institute for Gender Equality, and Eurostat, evidence of Finland having the highest rate of gender-based violence (GBV) in the EU was documented.

In total, 57.1 percent of women in Finland between 18–74 years reported having experienced either physical violence, threats or sexual violence since the age of 15 compared to an EU average of 30.7 percent.

37.3 percent of participants from Finland reported experiencing sexual violence and 19.7 percent reported experiencing physical violence or threat without sexual violence.

Intimate partner violence was suffered by 33.8 percent of women, up to 52.6 percent if psychological abuse was added in, and 12 percent had incidents in the last year—the highest figure in the EU.

Non-partner violence was similarly prevalent, with 46.5 percent having experiences since age 15, including 9.8 percent reporting rape, more than twice the EU average.

Sexual harassment at the workplace reached 53.7 percent of Finnish women, the second highest in the EU, with younger women being the most impacted.

The researchers cite that the findings are an indication of the "Nordic paradox," whereby high-gender equality countries continue to exhibit high reports of gender-based violence, mainly because of increased awareness and willingness to report abuse.