One in four men in Finland under the age of 35 believes that women may deserve violence due to their behavior or how they dress, according to a survey commissioned by the Coalition of Finnish Women’s Associations (NYTKIS).
The survey, which involved over a thousand men in Finland aged 18 to 79, found that one in four men under 35 think that a woman “may deserve violence because of how she dresses, looks, or behaves.” Overall, when considering all age groups, one in five men in Finland (21%) deemed violence against women acceptable. However, 90% of respondents stated that violence against women is always wrong.
The majority (84%) of respondents also agreed that men should take more responsibility for ending violence against women, and 78% said they should intervene in such cases.
According to surveys and official statistics, Finland is one of the most dangerous countries for women in the EU. Data from the Finnish Statistics Bureau, released alongside the NYTKIS study, revealed that half of Finnish women aged 16-25 have been victims of physical violence, threats of violence, or sexual violence, and one in five have experienced serious violence or rape.
