Across the globe, violence is universally condemned in all societies. Yet, the increasing prevalence of this issue is causing growing concern, with women and children being the most vulnerable and affected. This article aims to examine the evolving statistics related to violence against women.
As defined by the United Nations, violence against women encompasses any gender-based act that leads to or has the potential to cause physical, sexual, or psychological harm or distress to women. This includes threats of such acts, coercion, or unjust deprivation of freedom, whether in public or private contexts.
Let’s take a look at some existing data-proven facts about violence.
- According to the World Health Organization (WHO) in 2021, violence against women, especially intimate partner violence and sexual violence, is a grave public health concern and a clear violation of women’s human rights.
- WHO estimates reveal that globally, approximately 1 in 3 (30%) women have experienced physical and/or sexual intimate partner violence or non-partner sexual violence during their lifetimes.
- The majority of this violence takes the form of intimate partner violence, with around 27% of women aged 15-49 in relationships reporting some level of physical and/or sexual violence from their intimate partners worldwide.
- This violence can have detrimental effects on women’s physical, mental, sexual, and reproductive well-being and may even increase the risk of HIV transmission in certain contexts.
- Importantly, it is essential to recognize that violence against women is preventable. The healthcare sector plays a crucial role in offering comprehensive care to women who have experienced violence and serves as a gateway for connecting women with the support services they may require.”
In 2023, the statistics remain alarmingly high. The World Bank’s research indicates that nearly one in three women worldwide, totaling 736 million, aged 15 and above, have encountered intimate partner violence or non-partner sexual violence at some point in their lives. Additionally, over one in four women have endured violence from their partners.
The United Nations recognizes five major categories of violence against women:
- Sexual Violence: Involves non-consensual sexual acts against individuals who cannot provide consent, such as due to age, mental disability, or intoxication.
- Human Trafficking: Illegally acquiring and exploiting people, often women and girls, through force, deception, or coercion, frequently leading to sexual exploitation.
- Female Genital Mutilation (FGM): Deliberate harm to female genital organs for non-medical reasons, perpetuated as a social norm due to gender-related beliefs.
- Child Marriage: Marriages where one or both spouses are under 18, violating principles of free consent, particularly affecting girls and leading to educational disruptions.
- Online or Digital Violence: Acts of violence against women facilitated through technology, including cyberbullying, non-consensual sexting, and doxing.
Global Sexual Violence Statistics
Between 2000 and 2018, a World Health Organization (WHO) analysis revealed that approximately 30% of women worldwide experienced physical and/or sexual violence from either an intimate partner or non-partner sexual violence, or both.
Their research found that over a quarter of women aged 15-49 who had been in relationships had faced such violence at least once since the age of 15.
The prevalence of lifetime intimate partner violence varied by region, ranging from 20% in the Western Pacific, 22% in high-income countries and Europe, and 25% in the WHO Regions of the Americas to 33% in the WHO African region, 31% in the WHO Eastern Mediterranean region, and 33% in the WHO South-East Asia region.
Furthermore, globally, up to 38% of all murders of women (femicides/feminicides) were committed by intimate partners. In 2021, around 45,000 women and girls worldwide were killed by their intimate partners or other family members.
Apart from intimate partner violence, approximately 6% of women reported being sexually assaulted by someone other than a partner, although data on non-partner sexual violence were less comprehensive. Notably, the perpetrators of intimate partner and sexual violence are predominantly men targeting women.
Violence Against Girls and Its Impact
Over the last decade, there has been a noticeable decrease in child marriage rates globally. The proportion of young women, aged 20–24, who were married before turning 18, dropped from approximately one in four in 2010 to about one in five (19%) by 2022. Unfortunately, the COVID-19 pandemic threatens this progress, putting up to 10 million more girls at risk of child marriage.
Additionally, the issue of school-related gender-based violence remains a significant barrier to achieving universal education for girls, with one in three students (between ages 11-15) experiencing bullying. While physical bullying is more common among boys, girls are more likely to encounter psychological bullying and face mockery due to their appearance.
Adding to these issues, female genital mutilation is a widespread concern, with over 200 million women and girls aged 15–49 having experienced it in 31 concentrated countries, notably in sub-Saharan Africa where one in four women has undergone this practice.
Prevalence rates vary greatly, with some countries having almost universal prevalence affecting at least nine in ten girls and women, while it’s significantly less common, affecting no more than 1% of girls and women in places like Cameroon and Uganda, as reported by the UN.
Other forms of Violence
Violence against women goes beyond sexual violence and includes workplace harassment and technological abuse. For example, the UN reports that one in ten in the European Union and 60% Arab States women experience cyber-harassment, while 49% Ugandan women frequently encounter online harassment as at 2021.
In addition, online hate speech affects a significant number of women, as reported by a Korean survey. In the workplace, 82% female parliamentarians face psychological violence, often through social media, with threats and sexist remarks being common.
Furthermore, a global survey as reported by the UN found that 73% of women journalists have experienced online violence, with 20% enduring offline attacks related to their online experiences.
Combatting Violence against Women
In 2019, WHO, in conjunction with UN Women, UNFPA, and UNDP, launched the RESPECT Women website to combat violence against women. The RESPECT framework has been implemented in 16 countries, but a WHO report reveals that only 40% of countries have integrated essential strategies into their policies to address this issue.
Ending violence against women necessitates global cooperation and reporting incidents to the authorities.
