Violence against women and their health:

Violence against women is a global public health problem. Aside from being a violation of human rights, violence affects the health and wellbeing of women and girls resulting in severe social and economic costs. This occurs across all levels of society: the types of abuse ranges from physical and sexual abuse to harmful cultural practices and honour killings. The causes of abuse against women and girls emanates from the patriarchy and is deeply rooted in gender inequality. Society promotes male dominance as the norm, placing women in unequal positions of power to men in relationships and in society as a whole.

Reliable data on violence against women is scarce due to various reasons that prevent women from reporting crimes against them. According to the WHO, 1 in 3 women experience physical and or sexual abuse by a non-partner. As many as 38% of murders of women are committed by an intimate partner. Over 200 million women and girls have experienced female genital mutilation (FGM).

In the UK, there are over 1070 rape conviction annually and 85–90% of sexual assault victims are women. Recent research finds that 97% of women aged 18–24 in the UK have been sexually harassed with a further 96% not reporting because they believe it would not change anything. Conviction rates for rapes are lower than other crimes; only 5.7% of reported cases end in the conviction of the perpetrator. In addition, most women do not have access to support and the help they may need when they are victims of violence.