March against sexual harassment in Beirut vis AFP
The World Health Organization released a groundbreaking report signaling that 1 in 3 women worldwide have experienced physical or sexual violence at least once in their lifetime.
1 in 3 women & girls experience physical or sexual violence in their lifetime, in most cases by an intimate partner.
— United Nations (@UN) March 9, 2021
New @WHO study warns that violence frequently starts before women reach their mid-twenties. https://t.co/S2xluanSci pic.twitter.com/dobnG4gBm6
The landmark report looks at data from 161 countries and areas on women and girls age 15 and up collected between 2000 and 2018. Whilst data from the recurrent pandemic is not included, WHO rings the alarm on how movement restrictions worldwide led to a surge in violence against women as many are stuck with their abusers at home.
LIVE: Media briefing on the prevalence of violence against women with @DrTedros. #EndViolence https://t.co/tAsvZEiZk7
— World Health Organization (WHO) (@WHO) March 9, 2021
The figures "really bring to the fore how widely prevalent this problem already was" even prior to the pandemic, said WHO's Dr. Claudia Garcia-Moreno, one of the report's authors, according to NPR.
Violence against women cannot be stopped with a vaccine. We can only fight it with deep-rooted & sustained efforts:
— Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus (@DrTedros) March 9, 2021
-reforming discriminatory laws
-strengthening women’s economic rights
-school programmes
-by challenging social norms
-a strong health sector response#EndViolence
"The results paint a horrifying picture. 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," said WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus at a press conference on Tuesday.
One of the prevalent findings the WHO report is that nearly 1 in 4 girls and women who'd been in a relationship have already experience physical and/or sexual violence by age 19.
"I hope these numbers are a wake-up call to governments. There was talk five years ago, but more action in now needed if we are to meet Sustainable Development Goals targets of eliminating violence against women by 2030," Dr. Garcia-Moreno told the BBC.
With disparities in how gender violence is spread out globally and many cases not being reported or shut down, the problem becomes more pressing and direct action is needed in all of our communities.
Take a look at the full report here.
