According to the Statistical Office of the Republic of Slovenia, one in five women in Slovenia has been subject to some form of violence, of which 90 per cent of the perpetrators were men. The statistics on the murder of women is also alarming. Police data reveal that six women were murdered in 2021 and the perpetrators were family members in all cases.

In his message on the International Day for the Elimination of Violence Against Women, UN Secretary General António Guterres encourages us to consign violence against women and girls to the history books. He states that "a woman or girl is killed by an intimate partner or family member every 11 minutes— and we know that other stresses, from the COVID-19 pandemic to economic turmoil, inevitably lead to even more physical and verbal abuse."

Katja Zabukovec Kerin from the Association for Non-violent Communication believes that the problem of violence against women will not be solved in Slovenia without systemic measures and the elimination of inequalities between men and women. Human Rights Ombudsman Peter Svetina emphasises that the scope of violence against women can only be reduced by an informed and aware society. He sees progress on this issue arising from, among other things, enhanced education of children and young people, regarding which he highlights that discussions about roles in society must start at an early age and draw attention to stereotypes.

Source: STA