The United Nations General Assembly has designated 25 November as the International Day for the Elimination of Violence against Women.
Violence against women, particularly intimate partner violence and sexual violence is a major public health problem. It not only affects the physiological, psychological and social dimensions of health, but significantly violates women’s rights to have good health and dignity and be free from any harm or violence. It is rooted in the patriarchal attitude of accepting violence and gender inequality against women.
Women’s rights to live free from violence has been endorsed by countries worldwide through the adoption of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, the Declaration on the Elimination of Violence against Women, and the Beijing Declaration and Platform for Action, the most progressive blueprint ever for advancing women’s rights. Now is the time to effectively implement it.
Recent global prevalence figures indicate that 35% of women worldwide and 37.7% in South-East Asia have experienced either intimate partner violence or non-partner sexual violence in their lifetimes. Other forms of violence against women and girls in South-East Asia include dowry-related violence, honour killings, acid attacks, chaupadi or devadasi practices, female genital mutilation, child marriage, pre-natal gender-biased sex selection, rape, and trafficking of women and girls.
Violence against women and girls has received public health attention, because it results in physical, mental, sexual, reproductive health and other health problems, and may increase their vulnerability to HIV. Frequently, it has long-term physical, psychological and socioeconomic consequences. Some women are unable to resume normal life, afraid to have a new relationship with a man, are divorced, or face limitations due to injury/disability. Others have psychiatric problems or commit suicide. The prevention of violence and services to affected women and girls and their families requires the firm commitment of governments backing the national policy, structure and mechanisms, legal provisions and laws, as well as services and actions from multiple sectors.
The health sector is one of the key players in prevention and care. In prevention, health- care providers can, for example, advocate to the public to prevent such incidents, educate couples who come for marriage counselling, and pregnant women and their partners to avoid any violence for the benefit of the women, their unborn babies and their families, and observe and take history of the injured persons who frequently visit the outpatient department.
The health sector definitely provides health-care services when the affected women and girls come for help. The health-care provider can provide first-line support to meet the needs of the women and girls, including physical and mental care, as per the signs and symptoms and refer for social welfare or legal support.
WHO has recognized the need to eliminate violence against women and girls. This is demonstrated through various resolutions such as World Health Assembly resolutions WHA49.25 (1996), which declared violence a leading worldwide public health problem; WHA56.24 (2003) on implementing the recommendations of the World report on violence and health, WHA61.16 (2008) on the elimination of female genital mutilation and recently, WHA67.15 (2014) on strengthening the role of the health system in addressing violence, in particular against women and girls, and against children.
WHO has been supporting the Member States to raise awareness and strengthen health systems, in particular, the attitudes and capacities of health-care providers and the development of clinical guidelines and handbooks. Recently, a clinical handbook on “Health care for women: subject to intimate partner and sexual violence” was developed by WHO in collaboration with UNFPA and UN Women and is under field testing. In addition, we are in the process of gathering regional views for the development of the global plan of action to strengthen the role of the health system within a national multisectoral response to address interpersonal violence, in particular against women and girls and against children. This global plan is to be submitted to the Sixty-eighth World Health Assembly in 2016.
VAW could occur in any group of women and girls regardless of their age, education, occupation, socioeconomic status. It could occur anytime and anywhere, particularly in their own homes by someone they know. It could happen also among female health-care workers in any health-care facilities or offices. We need to do more to advocate and prevent such unacceptable incidents.
The joint efforts to end violence against women and girls are crucial. Let each of us take action on what we can do as human beings, as WHO staff as health–care professionals or as those who work for health.
Respect women in your home, workplace and everywhere; respect women’s rights and give them equal opportunity; avoid using any force on women; make women happy and have a good quality of life as a world citizen.
We must end violence against women and girls.