Finland is the EU's second most violent country for women, according to an EU survey on gender-based violence against women and other forms of interpersonal violence.
The Eurostat data found that more than half of women in Finland have experienced physical violence, sexual violence or threats.
According to Statistics Finland, in 2023, there were 12,300 victims of intimate partner and domestic violence crimes reported to the authorities, a 5.3 percent increase from the previous year. Of the victims, 74 percent were women, while 75 percent of those suspected of committing intimate partner and domestic violence were men.
Women are most likely to experience violence at home. The number of victims of intimate partner violence perpetrated by a spouse increased by 10.7 percent compared to 2022.
In light of these figures, experts in the field said they are alarmed by the government's move to cut third-sector funding.
"I am very concerned because in Finland, most of the work to combat violence is carried out by state-funded organisations. Now, this funding is set to be cut in the coming years," said Kristian Wahlbeck, a senior adviser at Mieli Mental Health Finland, a mental health NGO.
Wahlbeck criticised what he said would be the long-term effects of government savings measures, such as cuts to Mieli's crisis hotline which he said now had a response rate of 20 percent, down from 30 percent previously.
The number of calls to the Mieli helpline has soared in recent years as people in Finland grapple with mental health issues.
The Federation of Mother and Child Homes and Shelters meanwhile said planned cuts would leave an estimated 2,500 people without the help they need, exacerbating families' problems.
According to Teemu Vauhkonen, a senior researcher at the Finnish Institute for Health and Welfare (THL), external support can play a significant role in resolving relationship conflicts and the associated violence.
"If help is sought during a crisis, it allows for a focus on breaking the cycle of violence. This can also significantly improve the relationship as a whole, rather than just stopping the violence," he explained.
Within this electoral term, Prime Minister Petteri Orpo’s NCP-led government plans to reduce support to associations in the social and health care sector by around 100 million euros.
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