Violence against women

The WHO's new data show that violence against women is still spreading devastating. Throughout life, each of the three women (~736 million) suffers physical or sexual abuse from a close partner or through sexual abuse from a non-partner. Over the past decade, that figure has largely not changed. This violence begins early: each of the four young women (aged 15 to 24) who have been in the relationship has experienced violence from a close partner. “Violence against women is typical in every country and culture, harming millions of women and their families and has been further reinforced by the COVID-19 pandemic,” said WHO Director General Dr. Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus. “But unlike COVID-19, violence against women cannot be stopped with a vaccine. We can only fight deeply rooted and enduring efforts by government, communities and individuals to change harmful attitudes, improve access opportunities for women and girls to services that promote healthy and mutually respectful relations." Violence by the closest partners is arguably the most common form of violence against women worldwide (affects around 641 million people). However, 6% of women worldwide report that they are sexually harassed by someone other than their husband or partner. Given the insufficient reporting of sexual abuse, the real figure is likely to be significantly higher.