As every year, 25 November marks the International Day for the Elimination of Violence against Women, with violence against women and girls remaining one of the most prevalent human rights violations in the world. According to the European Union Agency for Fundamental Rights (FRA), it is estimated that one in three women in the EU has experienced physical and/or sexual violence.
However, as underlined by the European Institute for Gender Equality (EIGE), it is difficult to estimate the real numbers as violence against women remains under-reported and stigmatised. Having this high on its political agenda, this has been a priority for the Spanish EU Presidency, committed to promoting the first specific regulation on the subject at European level. While the debate on this proposal is progressing, the EU already made a step further with the entry into force of the Council of Europe Convention on preventing and combating violence against women and domestic violence – the Istanbul Convention. LIBE – FEMM Committees on violence against women positive vote led to establishing minimum standards in EU law to criminalise certain forms of gender-based violence across EU countries and guarantee protection and access to justice for victims.
From a nurses’ perspective, mostly women, this is a major concern. Nurses are at the frontline of addressing many forms of violence, as verbal, emotional or physical (including sexual) violence at their workplace. Violence against nurses has reached epidemic proportions, with anecdotal evidence during the COVID-19 pandemic pointing to a sharp increase across countries in Europe. It is imperative that nurses are protected and supported, through the development of policies, initiatives, and legislation at national and European level.
Therefore, the Directive of the European Parliament and of the Council on ‘combating violence against women and domestic violence’, is a key EU legislation with the need to integrate what is indicated in the Istanbul Convention in the Directive. Several points were missing in the Directive, such as the psychological violence present in the Istanbul Convention. The Directive is also key for better data collection and empowering EU-wide statistics. Furthermore, as indicated in the EU article on Violence against nurses, support tools are not yet sufficient, and each Member State must increase efforts.
Violence against nurses/women are not new and is totally unacceptable, as it has an enormous negative impact on their psychological and physical well-being and on their job motivation, with nurses’ leaving the profession. This puts the quality of care and patients’ safety at risk. Therefore, it is time to act! Nurses/women need to be protected from any kinds of gender related violence and discrimination.