© Tim Morizet
On Monday, 25 November, Luxembourg City inaugurated this year’s Orange Week, a campaign dedicated to raising awareness of violence against women. The theme for 2024 is encapsulated in the chilling slogan: “Every 10 minutes, a woman is murdered by her partner or a family member.”
The week-long campaign aims to shed light on the escalating crisis of gender-based violence. While men can also be victims of violence, statistics consistently show that women are disproportionately affected. According to numbers from the Swiss Federal Statistical Office in 2022, 29.8% of domestic violence victims were male - over 70% are women.
Around 120 people, including civilians and politicians, gathered at midday in Luxembourg City to form a human chain in memory of women who have suffered domestic violence. According to the United Nations, one in three women experiences physical or sexual violence in her lifetime, making it one of the most prevalent human rights violations globally.
“It truly is an extremely sad reality that these things still happen to women”, laments Isabelle Becker of Zonta Luxembourg, an organisation supporting women in dire situations. “There are so many women who then don’t have the courage to say anything. It is marital violence. That violence you hear about in the news. We are determined to encourage women to be brave.”
Gender-based violence is also a pressing issue in Luxembourg. In 2023, the police recorded 2,000 domestic violence cases, though the true figures are likely higher due to underreporting. Physical and psychological abuse is often minimised, preventing victims from seeking help or alerting authorities. The experiences are suppressed by the victim and the culprit can live on freely.
"No one is immune, and it’s crucial for women to feel empowered to report these crimes", says Becker.
In Europe, the average yearly number of women killed by their partner or ex-partner is 2,300. In Germany, 360 women were victims of femicide last year.
Read more:Eurostat: one in three women in the EU experienced gender-based violence
The current case of Gisèle Pelicot in France, which has received global attention, has resparked the debate for tougher sentencing and more protection for women. For 10 years, Pelicot's husband drugged her and invited men to rape her.
Demonstrators and city officials are calling for a cultural shift in addressing gender-based violence. Everyday incidents like harassment, slaps, or humiliation are too often trivialised. The Orange Week initiative calls for greater civic courage to challenge and report violence against women.
The full programme of Orange Week events can be found at cnfl.lu.
© Tim Morizet
