July 18, 2013
The WHO Department of Reproductive Health and Research has released the report ‘Global and regional estimates of violence against women. Prevalence and health effects of intimate partner violence and non-partner sexual violence’. New WHO estimates have found that physical or sexual violence affects more than one third of all women and girls worldwide, and has a major impact on their physical and mental health. The WHO defines this as a global health problem of epidemic proportions.
New guidelines
The report also acknowledges that violence against women not only has a large public health impact, but is also a gross violation of women’s human rights. The report is the first global systematic review of scientific data which differentiates two forms of violence against women affecting women’s health globally: intimate partner violence and non-partner sexual violence. Together with the report, WHO launched new clinical and policy guidelines aiming to help countries improve their health sector’s capacity to respond to violence against women.
Report Global and regional estimates of violence against women (PDF)
Guidelines (website WHO)