In 2006, the Council of Europe released a "Stocktaking study on the measures and actions taken in Council of Europe member States." It stated that countries around the world have adopted new policies to eliminate violence against women, yet this is not enough, as women throughout Europe still report abuse. National household and healthcare surveys have shown that one-fourth to one-fifth of women have fallen victim to physical abuse at least once as an adult. The majority of these abuses are committed by their partners or ex-partners. Children who witness abusive relationships are more likely engage in abusive relationships, thus perpetuating the domestic violence for generations to come.
Both society and the abused individual suffer from violence against women. The woman faces physical and emotional pain as well as financial loss, and a society that tolerates this violence will be a crippled competitor in the knowledge- and creativity-based economy of the future. This is no longer a private problem; it is a social problem that needs to be resolved.
Compiled from: Prof. Dr. Carol Hagemann-White, Judith Katenbrink, and Heike Rabe; "Combating violence against women"; Equality Division of the Directorate General of Human Rights of the Council of Europe; 2006.
For further information, see http://www.coe.int/equality/