Violence against women is the most important social problem of the 21st Century. Every year, international organizations investigate the psychological and cultural reasons for the problem, its effect on society and the traumas it causes in women. International bodies try to overcome the problem in terms of legal sanctions regarding violence against women.

Contrary to what most people think, the main factors behind violence against women are not economic crises, quality of life or levels of education. Indeed, the most recent polls show that there is intense violence against women in Europe, too.

The European Union Agency for Fundamental Rights (AFR) carried out a comprehensive survey of 28 European countries among 42,000 women aged 18-72. According to the resulting report, Denmark was the country with the highest level of violence, at 52%, followed by Holland at 45% and France at 44%: The mean figure for the 28 EU countries was 33%.[1]

According to other data in the report, one in every 10 women has been exposed to sexual violence since the age of 15, and one in every 20 has been raped. One in every five women has experienced violence from a former or current husband. Despite these figures, only 14% of women officially complained about violence from spouses and 13% about violence by strangers.

According to research by the U.S. government in 2011, one in every four women has experienced violence: Twenty-nine million women suffered physical violence by their husbands or boyfriends. At interviews, women described how their husbands tried to strangle them, beat them, stabbed them and shot them.[2] Again, in the same country, one woman is raped every 15 minutes.[3]

A most interesting and thought-provoking result emerges when one looks at the countries where the research was performed. Countries such as Denmark, Holland, France and the USA all enjoy high levels of prosperity. This reveals that violence cannot be eradicated through economic well-being or education systems intended solely to provide knowledge without addressing people’s consciences.

One can see concrete examples of violence against women among the artistic community and in high-prestige business circles. The popular singer Rihanna was badly beaten by her boyfriend Chris Brown in 2009.[4]

Artists such as Farah Fawcett, Pamela Anderson, Whitney Houston, Diane Lane and Robin Givens have also suffered violence at the hands of equally well-known husbands.[5] These are only the most sensational cases that have appeared in the media. A doctor in Great Britain beat his wife to death in 2007, but was not imprisoned by the judge since he was regarded as a good person by those around him.[6]

The main reasons for violence against women today, as in the previous century, are being investigated by sociologists and psychologists. Biological causes such as  having an aggressive nature or alcohol and drug use, a person himself having  experienced violence in childhood and associated psychological traumas are proposed as scientific data involved in violence against women.[7] Utterly superficial theories about violence and aggression being part of men’s nature, and aggression equating to strength, courage, energy and vitality for men have also been proposed, yet it seems the only thing that cannot be prevented is violence.[8]

Of course these academic investigations and scientific findings contain important facts about precautions needed to be taken on violence against women. However, it is also clear that this research and the measures taken are not enough by themselves, and we can see that most of the various hypotheses are incorrect, as seen by the sheer scale of the violence perpetrated against women. A high income or level of education is not an obstacle to violence against woman, and a low level of income or education does not encourage it.

We need to look to the main cause of the problem to find a solution. The materialism imposed for so many years on people and the lack of faith emerging as a result are the main cause underlying violence in society. People do not think that the universe, nature and living things have a Creator, or that everyone has the right to life. Selfish and arrogant people thinking of their own interests only begin feeling an intense dissatisfaction and that sense of intense dissatisfaction gives rise to a savage feeling of ownership, jealousy, lovelessness and hatred in society. Affection, compassion and understanding give way to conflict and aggression. The idea of the survival of the strong, instead of the righteous, is literally causing a hell of lovelessness on earth.

A self-centered, unhealthy human model, ready to explode at any moment, is unable to abandon the culture of violence at its heart, no matter how rich a person is or how many universities he has graduated from.  Egotism and lovelessness lead people to attach no value to anyone but themselves; men and women who come together solely out of self-interest gradually come to detest one another, the result of which is that the relatively more delicate woman suffers violence at the man’s hands. Even the most respectable homes can suddenly turn into prisons for women, and the loveliest environments become nightmarish.

Woman is the loveliest manifestation of God in this world, and a very special being. Someone with fear and love of God will feel great love and respect for the woman in front of him because he knows that God has created her. A man who fears God will never say the slightest hurtful thing to a woman, and will do everything in his power to protect her.

International organizations need to focus on moral education and love of God. Symposia and seminars on the subject can be held in high schools, colleges and universities; it is very important for young people to be told of the existence of God, and that He has made violence and egotism unlawful. Once love, affection and compassion reign across the world, violence against women will come to a complete end and love of women will spread across the globe.