Un_Safe Spaces Report
The “Un_Safe Spaces Report: Gender-based violence experienced by young women in Germany” was compiled as part of the cosnova says NO initiative in collaboration with the NGO Zonta International Germany. This initiative aims to create a non-violent society for women. With cosnova says NO, cosnova is committed to raising awareness of gender-based violence as a social problem, with a particular focus on educating young women.
Conducting the Study
For the report, the social research institute forsa interviewed 2,024 women aged between 18 and 65, including 1,501 women aged between 18 and 35. The interviews were conducted via the representative online panel forsa.omninet from 6 to 15 January 2025. It examined experiences of violence in public spaces, boundary violations on social media and domestic violence.
Gender-specific assaults in public spaces
Almost every woman under the age of 35 has experienced abuse in public. But personal safety, especially in public spaces, is essential for achieving equality in both private and professional life.
Perpetrators often go unpunished while women restrict themselves.
The women who were interviewed and had experienced at least one of the described situations of gender-based harassment or violence in public were asked about their reaction (multiple answers were possible).
61 % of them simply ignored at least some of the gender-specific assaults or boundary violations. 59 % talked about it with family or friends. It is much less common for perpetrators to be confronted directly (23 %). Only very few women reported the incident to the police (6 % without legal consequences, 2 % with legal consequences) or sought help from counselling centres (3 %).
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“Examining the data from the study, it is clear that harassment, assault and boundary violations in public places are an everyday occurrence for women in this country. This is unacceptable.”
Astrid Haury, Senior Manager of Corporate Responsibility at cosnova
A shocking reality: Many young women have already experienced boundary violations and violence in relationships
- 37 % of women between 18 and 35 have experienced psychological abuse in a relationship
- One woman in four has been pressured into unwanted sexual acts, and 17 % have experienced physical violence in a relationship
- 44 % of respondents between 18 and 35 know a woman who has experienced violence in a relationship
- Only 6 % of women who have experienced partner violence filed criminal charges
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“Digital violence is a social problem that we can no longer ignore. Any form of boundary violation on the internet is unacceptable and should not be considered the norm. As our brands essence and Catrice mainly communicate via digital channels, it is particularly important to us that our communities feel safe in these spaces.”
– Bülent Özdemir, Global Brand Director of the essence brand.
Verbal harassment, unsolicited nude pics and cyberstalking are the most common forms of digital violence.
The HateAid app, “MeldeHelden”, allows users to record incidents of digital violence in one place, forward them in a controlled manner and document them in a structured way. It also offers helpful measures and information for victims of digital violence. More information: Hate Aid
One third of women who experience digital boundary violations do not react to what they have experienced. There are many reasons for this passivity.
- 46 % subsequently consider the incidents to be insignificant
- 28 % do not know how to defend themselves
If women do react, they focus on self-protection:
- 65 % block the perpetrator or delete the comment
- 42 % report the incident to the platform provider
- 4 % file criminal charges
