Every woman’s right to feel safe

The statistics are damning. They are also truly frightening. Globally, the violence perpetrated against women is appalling. So, each year on November 25, the United Nation’s (UN) holds International Day for the Elimination of Violence Against Women.

This year will also mark the launch of the UNiTE campaign — a 16-day ‘initiative of activism’ that will conclude on International Human Rights Day on December 10. This year’s theme is ‘Investing to prevent violence against women and girls.’

The UN says more than five women or girls are killed every hour by someone in their own family. Almost one in three women have been subjected to physical and/or sexual violence at least once in their life and 86% of women and girls live in countries without legal protections against gender-based violence.

In 2021, around 45,000 women and girls worldwide were killed by their partners or other family members. A total of 56 per cent of all female homicides are committed by partners or other family members.

Globally, an estimated 736 million women – almost one in three – have been subjected to physical and/or sexual intimate partner violence, non-partner sexual violence, or both at least once in their life (that is 30 per cent of women aged 15 and older).

This figure does not include sexual harassment.

The rates of depression, anxiety disorders, unplanned pregnancies, sexually transmitted infections, and HIV are higher in women who have been victims of violence compared to women who have not. Many women experience other health problems once the violence has ended.

Of those who have been in a relationship, almost one in four adolescent girls aged 15-19 (24 per cent) has experienced physical and/or sexual violence from their partner or husband. Sixteen per cent of young women aged 15 to 24 have been victims of a violent attack in the past 12 months.

Further details at: https://www.un.org/en/observances/ending-violence-against-women-day

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