Gender-based Violence
Gender based violence should be considered a global pandemic, given that it affects 1 in 3 women within their lifetime.
It is estimated that 35% of women worldwide have experienced either physical and/or sexual violence.
- 7% of all women have been sexually assaulted by someone other than an intimate partner.
- 38% of murdered women were murdered by an intimate partner.
- As many as 200 million women have experienced female genital mutilation/cutting.
In some countries, violence against women is estimated to cost up to 3.7% of their GDP – more than double of what most governments spend on education.
Failure to address this issue entails a significant cost for the future.
Numerous studies have shown that children who grow up in violent environments are more likely to become survivors themselves or indeed perpetrators of violence in the future.
No social or economic boundaries restrain the issue. Gender based violence affects women and girls of all socio-economic backgrounds. Therefore, it must be addressed in both developing and developed countries.
The most effective initiatives address underlying risk factors that lead to violence, including social norms regarding gender roles and tolerance levels of violence.