1 in 3 women are victims of violence in Barcelona, survey says

One out of every three women in Barcelona have been the victim of a serious act of violence at some point in their lives.

These first figures, presented by Barcelona City Council, after carrying out a survey into the violence against women in Catalonia, come just a few days before the International Day for the Elimination of Violence against Women, on November 25. The rest of the survey’s findings will be presented in due course.

A council spokesperson also revealed that the development of a phone application to combat sexist violence is in the final stages. The app will enable women to contact directly with emergency services by pressing a red button, as well as report aggressions in public spaces.

The application will undergo a trial period for a year, using a sample of 400 women, in order to determine which are the most unsafe areas in the city, before it becomes available to the everyone.

In 2016, there were 4,300 reported cases related to violence against women. According to organizations such as the UN and the World Health Organization (WHO), violence against women is one of the most prevalent violations of basic rights in the world.

Around 1 in 3 women worldwide have suffered physical or sexual abuse or violence during their lifetime, often at the hands of an intimate partner, according to WHO.