Hartiotis: 1 in 3 Women in Europe Have Experienced Violence

At the European level, one in three women has experienced some form of violence, according to the Minister of Justice and Public Order, Marios Hartiotis. Only one in eight women reports the incident to the Police.

The data was presented at a press conference in Nicosia, on the occasion of launching a pancyprian awareness campaign on preventing and combating sexism. The Commissioner for Gender Equality, Josie Christodoulou, referred to an Amnesty International survey, which showed that 46% of women who experienced online abuse stated that it was misogynistic or sexist.

Marios Hartiotis stressed that promoting equality is a key priority of the government. He pointed out that sexism can physically, psychologically and socio-economically harm the victim. The campaign's goals include raising awareness about sexism, including online sexism, and raising awareness of the need for social change.

Josie Christodoulou noted that sexism is showing a worrying increase on social media. She also mentioned that her Office has two complaints regarding the law against sexism.

In the context of the Cypriot Presidency of the Council of the European Union in 2026, online violence against girls aged 13-18 has been set as a priority.