According to the UN, one woman or girl is killed every 10 minutes, a total of 140 women a day; and almost one in three has suffered physical or sexual violence in their lives. In Europe, the numbers are just as discouraging: one in three women has experienced gender-based violence. On the 25th of November, the International Day for the Elimination of Violence Against Women, the S&Ds have raised their voices urging the European Commission to put forward a law recognising rape on the basis of the absence of consent as an EU crime.
Iratxe García, S&D Group President, said:
“Today is not a day for celebration, it is a day of sadness, for every woman and girl taken by violence, and for every family left with a pain that never ends. This is not a private problem; it is a European emergency. Too many women are questioned and not believed, and even asked to prove harm after surviving rape. The European Union must act with clarity and courage: recognise femicide; make 'only Yes means Yes' the law; and include rape as an EU crime.
“Europe must be the place for justice, where every woman can live free, safe and proud. Enough is enough.”
