Western Pacific Health Data Platform16 Days of Activism Against Gender-Based Violence
Gender-based violence is one of the world’s most prevalent human rights violations, taking place every day. It is a global public health crisis of pandemic proportions and has detrimental and long-lasting consequences to the wellbeing, health and safety of the survivor, including a range of physical, mental health, sexual and reproductive health issues, along with socioeconomic consequences, effects on education outcomes, and impact on productivity and development of societies and countries.
According to the World Health Organization, 31% of women worldwide have experienced physical and/or sexual intimate partner violence or non-partner sexual violence and 6% reported having experienced non-partner sexual violence in their lifetime.
Country prevalence estimate rates of lifetime and past 12 months IPV among ever-married/ partnered women and girls aged 15-49 years in countries of the WHO Western Pacific Region
Proportion of ever-partnered women and girls aged 15-49 years subjected to physical and/or sexual violence by a current or former intimate partner in the previous 12 months
Invest to Prevent Violence Against Women and Girls
Under the leadership of the UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres, this year’s global UNiTE campaign calls to Invest to Prevent Violence Against Women and Girls
The health sector has a critical role to play in responding to and preventing GBV/VAWG, since most survivors will come into contact with health systems at some point in their lives, and healthcare providers are among those, survivors are likely to trust with a disclosure. This provides a key entry point for ensuring that survivors who experience violence receive health service and referrals for other support services.
The health sector has a critical role to play in prevention and response of GBV/VAW through:
 |
Advocating to make GBV/ VAW unacceptable and for such violence to be addressed as a public health problem. |
 |
Providing comprehensive services, sensitize and train health care providers in responding to the needs of survivors holistically and empathetically. |
 |
Preventing recurrence of violence through early identification of women and children who are experiencing violence and providing appropriate referral and support. |
 |
Strengthening advocacy for policies, laws and regulations that promote gender equality. |
 |
Strengthening data collection, reporting and use including on what works and on the magnitude of the problem, as well as in surveillance and health information systems to inform the development of evidence-based informed policies, programmes and strategies. |
Investment from Western Pacific Member States to address Violence Against Women
By ensuring that GBV/VAWG remains a top priority for governments and securing commitments to prevent and respond to such violence is required through a multisectoral approach, we can eliminate gender-based violence!
Related links:
RESPECT framework: Preventing violence against women
Violence against women’ factsheet
Data sources:
Global Database on the Prevalence of Violence Against Women
Violence Against Women Prevalence Estimates, 2018
Glossary:
| Intimate partner | Acts of physical or sexual violence, or both, by a current or former spouse or intimate partner since the age of 15 years. |
| Physical intimate partner violence | Acts that can physically hurt the survivor, including, but not limited to: being slapped or having something thrown at you that could hurt you; being pushed or shoved; being hit with a fist or something else that could hurt; being kicked, dragged, or beaten up; being choked or burnt on purpose; or being threatened with or actually having a gun, knife, or other weapon used on you; or a combination of these acts. |
| Sexual intimate partner violence | Acts of being physically forced to have sexual intercourse when you do not want to; having sexual intercourse out of fear for what your partner might do or through coercion; or being forced to do something sexual that you consider humiliating or degrading; or a combination of these acts. |
| Lifetime prevalence of intimate partner violence | The proportion of ever-married or ever-partnered women who reported that they had been subjected to one or more acts of physical or sexual violence, or both, by a current or former husband or male intimate partner in their lifetime (defined as since the age of 15 years). |
| Past year prevalence of intimate partner violence (also referred to as recent or current intimate partner violence) | The proportion of ever-married or ever-partnered women who reported that they had been subjected to one or more acts of physical or sexual violence, or both, by a current or former husband or male intimate partner within the 12 months preceding the survey. |