Looking around the world, it’s clear that women don’t have equal rights everywhere. And I don’t think we can just sit back with folded hands, feeling like we’ve done enough for equality.
First, it’s not hard to see that while women legally have the right to exercise their free will, it’s much harder for women who are less educated, financially vulnerable, or part of a minority to actually do so. Second, anyone who thinks that having equal rights on paper means society treats women as equals in conversations is living in a pleasant dream world far from reality.
Violence against women remains a critical issue today—not just in developing countries, but within the European Union as well. And now, there’s solid data proving that the situation at home is as bad as many suspected.
In Hungary, women suffer the highest rates of psychological, physical (including threats), and sexual violence from intimate partners—according to a recent survey published by Eurostat, the EU Agency for Fundamental Rights (FRA), and the European Institute for Gender Equality (EIGE), conducted between 2020 and 2024.
I know many will instinctively react to these words with skepticism—saying "this can’t be true," "propaganda," or "now everything is called violence." But that reaction perfectly shows why we’re in this situation.
What Can We Do to Reduce Domestic Violence?
To reduce the occurrence of domestic violence, first—though I’m not an expert—we need to admit that there’s a problem. And face our own responsibility.
Yes, these women are abused by their partners, but it’s impossible for a country leading these sad statistics to have a society where violence or abuse against women is completely taboo. We must accept that even though the abuser raises their hand, society also strikes by turning away, looking the other way, and making excuses. Silence makes us accomplices.
In a country where, just a few years ago, it was said in parliament that women should only expect respect after having children, where the police imply victims are to blame for their abuse, and where speaking out about abuse still leads to questions about what the victim was wearing or why they waited to speak up, there’s little hope of reducing intimate partner violence.
The first step toward change is admitting change is necessary. Listening to victims, rejecting social violence outright before questioning causes or circumstances, and never pretending there’s any justification for one person abusing another.
The next step is self-reflection: asking ourselves why we stayed silent when we could have spoken up. What did I do that helped maintain a society where violence is everyday? Once we face that, we can finally ask: what can I do to make a difference?
If you need help, you can reach out at the following contacts:
- NANE Helpline for abused women: 06 80 505 101
- National Crisis Information Service: 06 80 20 55 20, [email protected]
- PATENT Association Legal Aid Service: 06 70 220 2505 on Wednesdays 4–6 PM and Thursdays 10 AM–12 PM, [email protected]
- Hungarian Mental Health First Aid (LESZ) helplines: 116-123, +36 80 810-600, free to call 24/7 from any network.
