1 in 3 women faces violence, says WHO
Nearly one in three women worldwide is subjected to physical or sexual violence during her lifetime, pervasive criminal behavior that has increased during the pandemic, the World Health Organization said on Tuesday.
The UN Agency urged governments to prevent violence, improve services for victims and tackle economic inequalities that often leave women and girls trapped in abusive relationships.
Boys should be taught in school about the need for mutual respect, WHO said.
Violence against women is endemic in every country and culture, causing harm to millions of women and their families and has been exacerbated by the covid-19 pandemic.
Globally, 6% of women reported being sexually assaulted by someone other than a husband or partner – although the real figure is likely higher, because sexual abuse is still highly stigmatized and under-reported, according to the analysis.
But unlike COVID-19, violence against women cannot be stopped with a vaccine. We can only fight it with deep-rooted and sustained efforts – by governments, communities and individuals – to change harmful attitudes, improve access to opportunities and services for women and girls, and foster healthy and mutually respectful relationships.
While the problem of violence against women is pervasive globally, it is not distributed equally. Social and economic inequities are a leading risk factor, and women in low- and lower-middle-income nations and regions are disproportionately affected, the report found.
1 in 3 women faces violence, says WHO
For example, in Melanesia – a region of the southwestern Pacific Ocean – 51% of women will experience violence from an intimate partner in their lifetime, compared with 25% of women in North America.
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