Finnish Prime Minister Petteri Orpo has declared that 'violence against women is a disgrace to Finnish society.' 'Society as a whole must work to change these distorted and dangerous attitudes and eradicate violence against women,' he emphasized.

A recent survey revealed that one in four Finnish men under the age of 35 believe women may deserve violence due to their behavior or attire. The Coalition of Finnish Women's Associations (Nytkis), which commissioned the survey on men's attitudes towards violence against women, described the findings as 'alarming.' The survey, which included over a thousand men aged 18 to 79, found that one in four men under 35 believed a woman 'may deserve violence because of the way she dresses, looks, or behaves.' This belief was held by one in five men across all age groups.

'Our research shows that while not all men accept violence against women, far too many men are worryingly tolerant of it. Men normalize violence against women through their attitudes,' said Silla Kakkola, chair of Nytkis and Finland's Violence Observatory.

However, the survey results were somewhat contradictory: while 21% of men believed women can deserve violence, 90% also stated that violence against women is always wrong. A majority recognized that men should take greater responsibility in ending violence against women.

Prime Minister Orpo responded to the report by reiterating that 'violence against women is a disgrace to Finnish society.' He called for 'men to bear responsibility' in a post on Instagram.

Finland ranks as one of the least safe countries for women in the EU, according to various surveys and official statistics. Half of women aged 16-25 have experienced physical violence, threats of violence, or sexual violence, with one in five having suffered serious violence or rape, according to Finland's statistics agency.

'In Finland, the experience of violence is very common both within and outside relationships,' noted Marjut Pietilainen, a special researcher at Statistics Finland. 'Young women in particular stand out as a group that experiences a lot of violence in different areas of life,' she added.

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