Press release 06/03/2020

INTERNATIONAL WOMEN’S DAY. 2020

More than 5000 cases of violence against women - the highest figure for 10 years - were recorded in 2018

“Equality Between Women and Men in the Basque Country 2020” incorporates a series of eye-catching infographs that compile the most relevant statistical information from a gender perspective

More than 5000 cases of violence against women - the highest figure for 10 years - were recorded by the Basque Police Force in 2018. In 9 out of 10 cases, the perpetrator is (or was) part of the victim's family circle, and in 7 out of 10 cases they were the victim’s partner, spouse or former partner. An increase was also recorded in the number of cases of violence committed by individuals outside of the victim’s family circle.

This data is compiled in the publication titled “Equality Between Women and Men in the Basque Country 2020”, which Eustat has published on its website today in order to mark International Women’s Day. The publication is divided into four main chapters, which examine - from a gender perspective - the issues of population, paid work, income, and violence against women. The latter chapter is a new addition to this Eustat publication. The infographs are the main feature of the publication.

Of the many statistics provided, the chapter on violence against women stands out for the fact that, in 2018, 7 out of ten female victims of violence at the hands of their partner or former partner were between the ages of 20 and 50.

Additionally, the publication contains several other statistics of particular interest: for example, of the female victims of violence committed by individuals in their close family circle, 1 in every 3 was a minor, and 1 in every 3 was more than 50 years old.

There were 388 offences against the sexual freedom of women committed by individuals outside of the family circle. With regard to female victims of sexual offences committed by individuals outside of the family circle, 56% of said victims were under 20. Of those victims, 155 were under 18.

Moreover, in the majority of cases (more than 3000), physical violence was used against the female victims. In 74.8% of all of the violent offences against women that were reported, the perpetrator and the victim were in, or had previously been in, a romantic relationship with one another.

It should be noted that the number of female victims (4244) was lower than the number of cases (5135), as there were a number of women who suffered repeated incidents of violence.

Personal and household income

In the chapter that provides an analysis of personal and household income, the gap in average personal income in the Basque Country in 2017 stood at €10,445. Moreover, this gap did not get any narrower between 2001 and 2017. The gap is particularly marked with regard to income from employment (6424 euros) and from transfers (2647 euros).

Nationality has also given rise to an increasingly wider earnings gap: in some instances, the average personal income of foreign women was a little less than half that of foreign men.

Those with average income of less than €18,000 per year were predominantly women (66%), while those with average earnings in excess of this figure were predominantly men (60%).

Additionally, the difference in average personal income between women and men increased with age, chiefly due to the impact of income from employment and transfers.

The greatest difference was recorded in the 65-69 age group, in which the average income for men exceeded that of women by €17,309. For both genders, the highest total personal income belonged to those in the 55-59 age group, with an average of €20,747 for women and €34,436 for men.

Inequality between women and men in terms of average personal income through transfers was highest among retirees, i.e. those in the 65-75 age group.

With regard to average household income, families where the main earner was female had a significantly lower average household income than families where the main earner was male.

Households in the latter group had an average income of €47,235, and mostly fell within the medium- to high-income brackets. However, households where the main earner was female had an average income of €37,405, and fell within the lower-income brackets. Some 8% of these households were within the €9001-12,000 income bracket.

Paid work

The chapter on paid work states that in 2019, the types of contract offered to women were worse than those offered to men. More women than men were on temporary contracts (124,500 women compared to 108,400 men) or had no contract at all (6000 women compared to 2200 men).

The services sector accounted for the greatest number of individuals in active employment, and also employed more women than men (53% and 39%, respectively). There were, and continue to be, more unemployed women (6%) than men (2%) in this sector.

Women had a higher rate of representation in economic sectors related to Healthcare and social services (77%), Education (68%), Other services (63%) and Hotel management and catering (55%), among others.

The publication also reveals that male involvement in household chores has started to decline, following an earlier increase. In 2018, nearly 90% of women performed household chores, while the equivalent figure for men was just over 60%.

The active population shares domestic responsibilities to a greater extent than the inactive population: in 2019, 89% of actively employed women performed household chores, compared to 68% of men, while among the inactive population these figures fell to 77% and 48%, respectively.

Population

This chapter confirms that the average age of the population continues to rise. In 2000, some 19% of women were aged 65 or over; by 2018, this figure had risen to 25%, and is predicted to reach 31% in 2031. The equivalent figures for men are 14% in 2000, 19% in 2018 and 25% by 2031.

The publication also reveals that women of other nationalities have children at an earlier age. In 2018, women in the 33-38 age group accounted for 52% of all births involving Spanish mothers, while the equivalent figure for births involving mothers of other nationalities was just 34%. Since 1975, the average age at which a woman has her first child has risen by 6 years, while the average age at which she has her second has risen by 5 years.

The number of married couples has fallen sharply since 1975, while the average age at which people enter their first marriage has risen by 10 years during the same period. If, in 1975, the average age of a woman entering her first marriage was 24.2, by 2017 it had risen to 35.

In terms of life expectancy, women live an average of 6 years longer than men. Since 1975, life expectancy has risen by an average of nearly 9 years for women and 10 years for men. In 2017, life expectancy was 86.3 years for women and 80.4 years for men.

For further information:

Eustat - Euskal Estatistika Erakundea / Basque Statistics Institute C/ Donostia-San Sebastián, 1 01010 Vitoria-Gasteiz Press Service: servicioprensa@eustat.es Tel: 945 01 75 62