Violence against women

Violence against women – particularly intimate partner violence and sexual violence – is a major public and clinical health problem and a violation of women's human rights. It is rooted in and perpetuates gender inequalities.

Globally 1 in 3 women experience physical and/or sexual violence in their lifetime, mostly by an intimate partner. This is a stark reminder of the scale of gender inequality and discrimination against women.

The United Nations defines violence against women as "any act of gender-based violence that results in, or is likely to result in, physical, sexual, or mental harm or suffering to women, including threats of such acts, coercion or arbitrary deprivation of liberty, whether occurring in public or in private life."

Intimate partner violence refers to behaviour by an intimate partner or ex-partner that causes physical, sexual or psychological harm, including physical aggression, sexual coercion, psychological abuse and controlling behaviours.

Sexual violence refers to any sexual act, attempt to obtain a sexual act, or other act directed against a person’s sexuality using coercion, by any person regardless of their relationship to the victim, in any setting. It includes rape, defined as the physically forced or otherwise coerced penetration of the vulva or anus with a penis, other body part or object.

Violence against women is a global health problem. It causes grave harm to women’s health and well-being and that of their children. It also hurts the economic and social health of their families, communities, and countries.

While some women and girls are more at risk than others, violence can happen to anyone, in any country – regardless of culture, religion or economic status. Gender inequality including harmful gender norms are key drivers of violence against women and girls.

Violence can negatively affect women’s physical health, including sexual and reproductive health, and also mental health. It is associated with increased risk of injuries, depression, substance abuse, anxiety disorders, unintended pregnancies, sexually transmitted infections, and many other health problems.

Children who grow up in families where there is violence suffer a range of behavioural and emotional disturbances. These can lead to mental and developmental challenges and be associated with perpetrating or experiencing violence later in life.

Through the UNDP/UNFPA/UNICEF/WHO/World Bank Special Programme of Research, Development and Research Training in Human Reproduction (HRP), WHO plays a key role in bringing attention to and addressing violence against women as a public health and gender equality problem by:

• developing guidelines and tools, setting norms and standards for an effective health response to violence against women and girls;
• establishing evidence-based packages for preventing violence against women through multisectoral efforts;
• strengthening country capacity of health systems and providers to prevent and respond to violence against women and girls including in humanitarian settings; and
• encouraging leadership in health systems and building political will to address violence against women and girls through advocacy and partnerships.

The WHO Fourteenth General Programme of Work (GPW 14) positions the elimination of violence against women and girls as a core element of its contribution to Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) 5 on gender equality. GPW 14 underscores that lack of progress on gender equality undermines health and the ability of women and girls to access services without discrimination, and it continues to monitor SDG 5.2 indicators as key measures of progress.

At the World Health Assembly in May 2016, Member States endorsed a global plan of action on strengthening the role of the health systems in addressing interpersonal violence, in particular against women and girls and against children. WHO monitors progress on this plan of action through a policies database that tracksing how Member States are addressing violence against women through health and multisectoral policies.