Did you know that one out of every three women (35%) would be victimized by violence at some point in their lives – that’s more than one billion women worldwide?
The most accurate estimates of the prevalence of intimate partner violence and sexual violence come from population-level surveys based on survivor reports. WHO, on behalf of the UN Interagency Working Group on Violence Against Women, conducted a 2018 analysis of prevalence data from 2000 to 2018 across 161 countries and areas, finding that nearly one in three women, or 30%, have been subjected to physical and/or sexual violence by an intimate partner or non-partner sexual violence or both.
Violence against women and girls is a worldwide epidemic that recognizes no geographical or cultural borders. However, underprivileged women, such as impoverished women and girls, are more likely to be victims, with their spouses or partners being the most common perpetrators.
Domestic abuse, sexual assault and harassment, child, early and forced marriage, sex trafficking, so-called “honor” crimes, and female genital mutilation are all examples of violence against women and girls. It stems from the gender disparities that women confront throughout their lives, from youth to old age.
Many perpetrators believe that violence against women and girls is acceptable or even encouraged by society. They believe that they can act violently without being judged.
It is one of the most common human rights abuses, with long-term negative consequences for women, their communities, and society as a whole. It’s past time to declare “enough is enough.” We want to see an end to violence against women.
Human rights abuses are one of the most common. According to certain national research, up to 70% of women would encounter abuse at the hands of their current or previous partners during their lives. Around 650 million women were married as youngsters and are still living today. More than one-third of those women married before the age of 15. 200 million women and girls have been subjected to female genital mutilation, with the majority of girls being cut before the age of five.
Intimate partners are responsible for up to 38% of all female killings worldwide. In addition to intimate relationship violence, 6% of women worldwide say they’ve been sexually attacked by someone who isn’t their spouse, while statistics on non-partner sexual violence is scarce. Men are the most common perpetrators of intimate relationship and sexual violence against women.
Women’s exposure to abusive relationships and recognized risk factors has grown as a result of the COVID-19 epidemic and its social and economic consequences, while their access to treatment has been limited. Humanitarian crises and displacement can worsen current forms of violence against women, such as violence perpetrated by intimate partners and non-partner sexual assault, and can also lead to new forms of violence against women. Women and girls make up 71% of all human trafficking victims worldwide, with girls accounting for roughly three out of every four trafficked youngsters.
Women and girls are trapped in poverty as a result of violence. It restricts women’s options, including their capacity to obtain an education, make a job, and engage in political and public affairs. Poverty exposes them to more violence and leaves them with little alternatives when it occurs.
Women suffer substantial short- and long-term physical, mental, sexual, and reproductive health problems as a result of intimate relationship (physical, sexual, and psychological) and sexual violence. They also have an impact on the health and well-being of their children. Women, their families, and society bear tremendous social and economic consequences as a result of this abuse.
Women suffer substantial short- and long-term physical, mental, sexual, and reproductive health problems as a result of intimate relationship (physical, sexual, and psychological) and sexual violence. They also have an impact on the health and well-being of their children. Women, their families, and society bear tremendous social and economic consequences as a result of this abuse.
Children who grow up in violent households are more likely to have a variety of behavioral and emotional problems. Later in life, they can also be linked to committing or witnessing violence.