The global scope of violence against women

Dating back to social media usage that began in 2006, the social movement often referred to as “#MeToo” has done much to draw attention to violence against women. Such violence was perpetrated prior to 2006 and has persisted even as the #MeToo movement has inspired women across the globe to share their stories in public. Greater public understanding of the scope of violence against women may compel further action to combat such brutality.
• Estimates from the World Health Organization indicate that three in 10 women worldwide have been subjected to either physical and/or sexual intimate partner violence or non-partner sexual violence in their lifetime.
• WHO data indicates that 27 percent of women between the ages of 15 and 49 who have been in a relationship report that they have been subjected to some form of physical and/or sexual violence by their intimate partner. The organization UN Women indicates that, prior to the COVID-19 pandemic, 243 million women in that age bracket experienced such violence.
• A WHO analysis of prevalence data from 2000-2018 found that as many as 38 percent of all murders of women are committed by intimate partners. 
• Data regarding non-partner sexual violence is more limited, but the WHO indicates 6 percent of women across the globe report having been sexually assaulted by someone other than a partner.
• A 2013 study from the WHO examining the health burden associated with violence against women found that women who had been physically or sexually abused were 1.5 times more likely to have a sexually transmitted infection compared to women who had not experienced partner violence.
• A 2021 report from the United Nations indicated that domestic violence against women increased to unprecedented levels in the early stages of the COVID-19 pandemic. The National Commission on COVID-19 and criminal justice indicated a greater than 8 percent increase of such violence following the onset of lockdown orders in 2020.
Violence against women remains a significant yet wholly preventable issue. Women in need of assistance in the United States can contact the National Domestic Violence hotline 24/7/365 at 1-800-799-7233. In Canada, women in need of assistance are urged to call 911 or their local provincial and territorial crisis lines.  TF234879