2013 EWL Barometer on Rape - Report - European Women's Lobby

The European Women’s Lobby is pleased to unveil its 2013 Barometer on Rape in Europe. Thanks to the work and expertise of the experts to the EWL Observatory on violence against women, the EWL has produced a strong policy document analysing the incidence of Rape in Europe. The Barometer is a very important tool to get a European overview of national actions on violence against women and compare European countries with regards to their commitment to eradicate such violence. In a year that has seen unprecedented coverage of stories of sexual violence and sexual assault globally, what do you know about the situation in Europe? How are people who are raped treated in each Member State? Do the definitions of rape match from Member State to Member State? What constitutes consent? What constitutes resistance? Now that we have cross-border protection orders, wouldn’t it make sense to have similar definitions of rape? The EWL Barometer 2013 gives visibility to this topic and presents the major challenges faced today in Europe. It covers 32 countries and shows how national legislation complies, or fails to comply with the Council of Europe Convention definition of rape. Following the 2011 Barometer on National Action Plans on Violence against Women in the EU, the EWL Centre on Violence against Women will present the findings from the 2013 Barometer focusing on rape. The Barometer is the fruit of collaboration of the expert network of the EWL Observatory on Violence against Women, with the support of Friedrich-Ebert-Stiftung-EU Office.

Findings include:

– How national legislation complies or fails to comply with the Council of Europe Convention definition of rape – What official data is kept, or is not kept on women victims of rape in every country – The existence of support and treatment services for victims Covering 32 countries the Barometer provides a snapshot of the situation across Europe and highlights areas where change is urgently needed. The meeting will bring together country experts and leading advocates to discuss the report’s findings and implications for policy at both national and European level. In this context, the EWL Barometer reflects women’s organisations’ call for concrete policy action at European level to build a Europe free from all forms of male violence against women.