Combating violence against women : the Netherlands.
Date: 2017-04-24
Institutions: European Institute for Gender Equality
Subjects: anti-discriminatory measure, domestic violence, gender equality, sexual discrimination, sexual violence

Combating violence against women

THE NETHERLANDS

Violence against women is rooted in women’s unequal 
status  in  society,  and  that  status  reflects  the  unbalanced 
distribution  of  social,  political,  and  economic  power 
among  women  and  men  in  society.  It  is  one  of  the  most 
pervasive human rights violations of our time and a form of 
discrimination that results in, or is likely to result in, physical, 
sexual,  psychological  or  economic  harm  or  suffering  to 
women  (1).  Violence  against  women  undermines  women’s 
dignity and integrity and imposes serious harms on families, 
communities  and  societies.  In  the  EU,  estimates  suggest 
that  1  in  3  women  (or  61  million  out  of  185  million)  have 
experienced  physical  or  sexual  violence,  or  both,  since  the 
age of 15 (2).

The  full  extent  of  violence  against  women  is  difficult 
to  estimate,  as  it  continues  to  be  under-reported  and 
stigmatised,  meaning  that  what  actually  gets  reported  is 
only a fraction of the reality. In the Netherlands, almost 80 % 
of the population tend to trust the police (3). 

In EIGE’s Gender Equality Index 2015 it was found that where 
people tend to have more trust in justice institutions, levels 
of disclosed violence are higher (4). It is estimated that in the 
Netherlands,  45 %  of  women  have  experienced  violence, 
which is 12 % higher than in the EU overall (5).

The European Institute for Gender 
Equality has estimated that the cost 
of intimate partner violence against 
women in the Netherlands could 
amount to EUR 3.6 billion per year. 
This figure was calculated according 
to the methodology used in EIGE’s 
2014 study (6), which Member States 
can replicate, as done by Estonia in 
2016 (7).

What are the facts?

•  The 2014 European Union Agency for Fundamental 

Rights survey data results showed that:

 – since  the  age  of  15,  45 %  of  women  in  the 
Netherlands  have  experienced  physical  and/or 
sexual violence and 26 % of women have been 
stalked;

 – 43 %  of  people  in  the  Netherlands  said  they 
knew  someone  who  had  been  a victim  of 
domestic violence (8).

•  From  2010  to  2012,  an  estimated  7.9  per  100 000 
people in the Netherlands were victims of human 
trafficking,  almost  four  times  higher  than  the 
EU-wide figure (9).

When trust in police is low, victims are less likely  
to report violence.

Is violence against women a crime in 
the Netherlands?

The  Netherlands  has  no  law  criminalising  violence  against 
women but does criminalise numerous forms of violence.

Rape, sexual assault and stalking are addressed in the Dutch 
Penal  Code  (Articles  242,  246  and  285b  respectively) (10); 
domestic  violence  is  prosecuted  under  different  criminal 
offences.

Laws  that  criminalise  forced  marriage  and  female  genital 
mutilation came into force on 1 July 2013 (11).

What is being done to eliminate 
violence against women in the 
Netherlands?

The  Ministry  of  Health, Welfare  and  Sport  coordinates  the 
government-wide  approach  on  violence  against  women, 
together  with  the  Ministry  of  Security  and  Justice,  the 
Ministry of Education, Culture and Science, and the Ministry 
of  Social  Affairs  and  Employment.  This  government-wide 
approach  aims  to  prevent,  identify  and  stop  domestic 
violence and provide assistance and after-care (12).

On 14 November 2011, the Netherlands signed the Council 
of  Europe  Convention  on  preventing  and  combating 
violence  against  women  and  domestic  violence  (Istanbul 
Convention);  the  government  ratified  the  convention  on 
18 November  2015 (13).  The  Istanbul  Convention  is  the 
most far-reaching international treaty to tackle this serious 
violation of human rights.

Good practices show the way

Over the last decade, the Netherlands has built up 
an integrated method of addressing female genital 
mutilation  (‘The  Chain’),  which  links  key  persons 
in  the  communities  affected  to  professionals  in 
education, prevention, health and social care, and 
law  enforcement.  Each  link  in  the  chain  knows 
what role the other links play. Evaluation showed 
that  the  target  groups  were  successfully  reached 
and  all  actors  involved  knew  their  roles  in  the 
process and their counterparts in the chain (14).

How are women and girls protected?

Women  victims  of  domestic  violence  in  the  Netherlands 
have legal access to emergency barring orders prohibiting 
perpetrators  from  the  victim’s  home (15),  and  temporary 
restraining  orders  in  situations  where  there  is  an  acute 
threat. The restraining order may also apply to child abuse 
cases. Violation of restraining orders is a criminal offence (16).

What help is available in the 
Netherlands?

Besides help within shelters there is also so-called 
ambulatory help (social work, psychiatric care, care 
and treatment of drug addicts, debt assistance) for 
victims (locally organised).

Victim  Support  Netherlands  (Slachtoffer  Hulp 
Nederland)  assists  victims  of  rape,  sexual  assault 
and  stalking (17).  This  organisation  also  has 
a helpline  for  sexual  abuse  (hulplijn  seksueel 
misbruik).

There are 26 support services for domestic violence 
and  child  abuse  (Veilig  Thuis)  helping  victims  of 
domestic  violence  and  child  abuse,  covering  the 
whole country (18). They can be reached 24/7 (free 
of charge).

There are 15 centres for sexual abuse, where victims 
of  acute  sexual  abuse  can  get  help  (covering  the 
whole country) (19).

The  Dutch  Centre  of  Forced  Marriage  and 
Abandonment  offers 
links  between 
knowledge, policy and practice, collects and shares 
knowledge  and  promotes  good  cooperation 
among all relevant parties (20).

short 

The  Netherlands  also  has  another  telephone 
line  (0900  9999  001)  and  web-based  helpline 
(http://www.slachtofferwijzer.nl/organisaties/
hulplijnseksueelmisbruik#)  that  operates  Monday 
to Friday from 09:00 to 17:00. Callers are charged 
at normal rates.

The Netherlands has 96 shelters 
with 1 608 beds (21). 

Veilig Thuis: 0800 2000 (free of charge)
Website: www.vooreenveiligthuis.nl

Endnotes

(1)  Council of Europe, Council of Europe Treaty Series No 10, Council 
of Europe Convention on preventing and combating violence 
against women and domestic violence, and its explanatory 
report, 2011. Available at: https://www.coe.int/en/web/
conventions/full-list/-/conventions/treaty/210

(2) 

(3) 

(4) 

(5) 

(6) 

European Union Agency for Fundamental Rights, Violence against 
women: an EU-wide survey — Main results, Publications Office of 
the European Union, Luxembourg, 2014.

European Commission, Eurobarometer. Available at: http://
ec.europa.eu/COMMFrontOffice/PublicOpinion/index.cfm/Chart/
getChart/themeKy/18/groupKy/88

European Institute for Gender Equality, Gender Equality Index — 
Report, 2013. Available at: http://eige.europa.eu/sites/default/
files/documents/Gender-Equality-Index-Report.pdf

Ibid. (the level of disclosed violence in the EU overall is 33 %).

European Institute for Gender Equality, Estimating the costs 
of gender-based violence in the European Union — Report, 
Publications Office of the European Union, Luxembourg, 2014. 
Available at: http://eige.europa.eu/sites/default/files/documents/
MH0414745EN2.pdf

(7)   Cost of Domestic Violence in Estonia: https://www.sm.ee/sites/

default/files/content-editors/Sotsiaal/Norra/vagivalla_hind.pdf

(8) 

(9) 

European Union Agency for Fundamental Rights, Violence against 
women: an EU-wide survey — Main results, Publications Office of 
the European Union, Luxembourg, 2014.

Eurostat, Trafficking in human beings, Publications Office of the 
European Union, Luxembourg, 2015, p. 23. Available at: https://
ec.europa.eu/anti-trafficking/sites/antitrafficking/files/eurostat_
report_on_trafficking_in_human_beings_-_2015_edition.pdf

(10)  http://eige.europa.eu/gender-based-

violence/regulatory-and-legal-framework/
legal-definitions-in-the-eu?c[]=NL

(11)  https://zoek.officielebekendmakingen.nl/stb-2013-187

(12)  Sixth periodic report of the Kingdom of the Netherlands 

concerning the implementation of the international convention 
on the elimination of all forms of discrimination against women 
(2008-2013), 2014, p. 39. Available at: https://www.tweedekamer.
nl/kamerstukken/detail?id=2014D38529

(13)  Council of Europe, Chart of signatures and ratifications of Treaty 
210. Available at: https://www.coe.int/en/web/conventions/
full-list/-/conventions/treaty/210/signatures?p_auth=j0WpqY2l

(14)  European Institute for Gender Equality, Good Practices — Joined-
up action on FGM, 2006-2015. Available at: http://eige.europa.
eu/gender-based-violence/good-practices/netherlands/
joined-action-fgm

(15)  WAVE, WAVE report 2015 on the role of specialist women’s support 
services in Europe, p. 87. Available at: http://fileserver.wave-
network.org/researchreports/WAVE_Report_2015.pdf

(16)  Wet tijdelijk huisverbod, Article 11, only available 

in Dutch: http://wetten.overheid.nl/BWBR0024649/
geldigheidsdatum_05-12-2014

(17)  https://www.slachtofferhulp.nl

(18)  http://www.vooreenveiligthuis.nl

(19)  https://www.rijksoverheid.nl/binaries/rijksoverheid/

documenten/brieven/2016/02/08/brief-aan-de-vng-over-extra-
middelen-centra-seksueel-geweld/brief-aan-de-vng-over-extra-
middelen-centra-seksueel-geweld.pdf

http://www.centrumseksueelgeweld.
nl/?gclid=CKLEu_TA888CFaUV0wod7pYBRA

(20)  http://www.huwelijksdwangenachterlating.nl

(21)  WAVE, WAVE report 2015 on the role of specialist women’s support 
services in Europe, p. 92. Available at: http://fileserver.wave-
network.org/researchreports/WAVE_Report_2015.pdf

European Institute for Gender Equality

The European Institute for Gender Equality (EIGE) is the EU knowledge centre on gender 
equality. EIGE supports policymakers and all relevant institutions in their efforts to make 
equality between women and men a reality for all Europeans by providing them with 
specific expertise and comparable and reliable data on gender equality in Europe.

Contact details

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Paper

MH-04-16-661-EN-C

978-92-9493-549-6

10.2839/116487

PDF

MH-04-16-661-EN-N

978-92-9493-550-2

10.2839/940080