Abuse against women lower than EU averages

Although physical, sexual and psychological abuse against women in Cyprus is lower than the EU average, it is still high, Ombudswoman Eliza Savvidou said on Tuesday.
Around 22 per cent of Cypriot women over the age of 15 currently fall victim to physical and sexual abuse and 39 per cent suffer psychological abuse.
Savvidou, whose speech was read out by official from her office Aristos Tsiartas at a seminar on combating gender violence through the media, said the percentages in Cyprus may not even show the extent of the problem due to the social structure of society, in which women are reluctant to come forward. This meant cases were rarely reported or perpetrators punished.
“Violence against women continues to be an insidious and invisible enemy often fostered by silence on the part of the victims,” she said, adding that violence should not be a private matter.
“To prevent and address violence against women requires commitment, rigour, cooperation and coordination, both by the state and government agencies as well as from civil society, and every individual.”
To more effectively address the situation however, a change in attitude and perceptions was needed, along with the removal of traditional stereotypes and roles.

The Cyprus Mail is the only English-language daily newspaper published in Cyprus. It was established in 1945 and today, with its popular and widely-read website, the Cyprus Mail is among the most trusted news sites in Cyprus. The newspaper is not affiliated with any political parties and has always striven to maintain its independence. Over the past 70-plus years, the Cyprus Mail, with a small dedicated team, has covered momentous events in Cyprus’ modern history, chronicling the last gasps of British colonial rule, Cyprus’ truncated independence, the coup and Turkish invasion, and the decades of negotiations to stitch the divided island back together, plus a myriad of scandals, murders, and human interests stories that capture the island and its -people. Observers describe it as politically conservative.