A total 77 per cent of reported domestic violence victims in 2012 were women, according to statistics published this morning by the National Statistics Office, on the occasion of International Women’s Day, being celebrated tomorrow.

The NSO said that the female population in Malta and Gozo stood at 209,843 in 2011, comprising 50.3 per cent of the population.

Figures from the Labour Force Survey showed that the highest female employment rate was in the 25-34 age bracket, at 69 per cent. On average, an employed woman worked around 32 hours per week, seven hours less than their male counterparts.

The unemployment rate for females stood at seven per cent, around one per cent higher than that for males. The highest unemployment rate in females was recorded for those aged 15-24, at 14 per cent.

The inactivity rate for females was 56 per cent, decreasing slightly over the past years but remaining higher than that for males.

During the scholastic year 2010-2011, 12,728 female students enrolled in post-secondary institutions.  In 2012, 80 per cent of females were daily computer users, while 79 per cent of women used the internet on a daily basis.

Of the domestic violence cases reported to the police in 2012, the majority of victims, 69 per cent, were females aged 18-59. At 57 per cent, the most common type of violence reported on women was classified as slight bodily harm with physical force.

Twenty-six female candidates will be contesting the Saturday’s elections. This accounts for a female participation of 15.5 per cent, an increase of 5 per cent over 2008. Of these, 14 will contest on two districts.

The 12th District has the highest number of female candidates with nearly one-fourth of the total. In contrast, there are no women contesting the 7th District.