Germany news. A new survey conducted proved that a third of young men in Germany find it acceptable to use violence against women. The findings caused severe outrage among gender equality campaigners.
The survey was commissioned by children’s charity Plan International Germany. Its findings were published in regional newspaper Westdeutsche Allgemeine Zeitung.
According to CNN, a group of 1,000 men and 1,000 women aged 18-35 from across Germany were asked to give their views on masculinity for the study, which was carried out online.
34% of men from that age bracket admitted to being violent towards their female partner in the past, to “instil respect in them.” 33% said they thought it was acceptable if their “hand slipped” occasionally during an argument with their partner.
Exploring attitudes to victim-blaming and double standards, the survey found that 50% of men said they would not want a relationship with a woman who had had many sexual partners, while 20% of the women interviewed agreed with this statement.
The survey also brought to light the fact that expectations within a relationship differed greatly between men and women.
READ ALSO:
How African women in Germany can prove domestic violence when making a report
Germany: On average, one woman is a victim of domestic violence in Germany every 45 minutes
Say No to Domestic Violence – Kenyan artist Esther Akothee speaks up
Just over half of men – 52% – wanted a relationship in the form of a “breadwinner-housewife model,” where they earned most of the money for the household and childcare and household tasks were primarily the woman’s role. Over two-thirds of the women interviewed disagreed, wanting equal partnerships and shared decision-making.
Just under half of respondents – 48% – expressed a dislike for public displays of homosexuality, saying they felt “disturbed” by it.
A German group called the Federal Organisation for Equality wrote on Twitter that the findings were “shocking.” “According to a survey by Plan International Germany, every third young man finds violence against women ‘acceptable’. This urgently needs to change!”
According to data from Germany’s Federal Criminal Police (BKA), 115,000 women in Germany were victims of partner violence in 2021.
Germany also has one of the highest rates of femicide in Europe – a problem which was exacerbated during the coronavirus pandemic. We wrote about it here: Coronavirus: Surge in domestic violence reported worldwide.
Source: CNN