Population size:
1,326,590[1]
Number of people experiencing domestic abuse each year:
Women who have experienced physical and/or sexual intimate partner violence in their lifetime: 20%
Physical and/or Sexual Intimate Partner Violence in the last 12 months against women: 2%
Lifetime Non-Partner Sexual Violence against women: 9% [2]
Cases of domestic violence made up 13.3 percent of registered criminal offenses last year, up from 9.8 percent in 2017. [3]
No research on male victims or other gender identities.
Cost of domestic abuse to the economy each year:
The European Institute for Gender Equality has estimated that the cost of intimate partner violence against women in Estonia could amount to EUR 287 million 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)
Estimated % change due to COVID-19:
No research.
Current law and policy:
Estonia has committed to a 5-year strategy to tackle violence, with a particular emphasis on domestic violence. Domestic violence cases account for 44% of all cases of violent crime according to the Ministry of Social Affairs and Ministry of the Interior.
The government implemented the Vision of the Strategy for Preventing Violence (2015-2020), guided by WHO, with the explicit goal of reducing violence. It is based on four goals: prevention, education and violence detection mechanisms, support and protection of victims, improving the proceedings of violence cases and treatment of perpetrators. The Strategy also includes budgetary commitments through the operational programme, such as government funds being allocated to women’s shelters through the Ministry of Social Affairs. Implemented an awareness-raising campaign, ‘Ava Silmad – Open Your Eyes!’ alongside the Vision to change public attitudes.
Domestic violence criminal proceedings increased 25% in 2019, as more victims came forward to report their abuse to the police. Police officers, border guards and social workers are receiving training related to domestic and gender violence from NGOs, the Ministry of Social Affairs, Ministry of the Interior and the Ministry of Justice. There has yet to be public discussion regarding the continuation of government strategy past 2020.
Public spending - The national women’s helpline, Tugitelefon (1492), is free of charge and operates 24/7. There are 13 women’s shelters in Estonia that operate 24 hours a day free of charge and there are 862 beds available.[4]
Frontline Services:
Tallin Women's Crisis - http://www.naisteabi.ee/en/ - tallinn@naisteabi.ee
Eastern Virumaa Women's Shelter-Support Center - http://www.naistetugikeskus.eu/ - naistetugikeskus@gmail.com ; naistetugikeskus@hot.ee
NGO Jõgeva County Women's Support Center - https://jogevanaistetugi.ee/home/ - jogevamaanaistetugikeskus@gmail.com
Järva County Women's support centre service - http://jarvanaistetugi.ee/home/ - jarvanaistekeskus@gmail.com
Lääne County Women's Support Center - http://laanenaistetugi.ee/home/ - laanenaistetugi@gmail.com
Sources
[1] The World Bank, (1).
[2] UN Women, “Global Database on Violence Against Women – Estonia”, (evaw-global-database.unwomen.org).
[4] WAVE (2015). WAVE report on the role of specialist women’s support services in Europe (Estonia country information).
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