International Day for the Elimination of Violence Against Women

Violence against women and girls (VAWG) remains largely unreported due to the impunity, silence, stigma and shame surrounding it.

It can manifest in physical, sexual and psychological forms, encompassing:
– intimate partner violence (battering, psychological abuse, marital rape, femicide);
– sexual violence and harassment (rape, forced sexual acts, unwanted sexual advances, child sexual abuse, forced – marriage, street harassment, stalking, cyber- harassment);
– human trafficking (slavery, sexual exploitation);
– female genital mutilation; and
– child marriage.

Within the UN Declaration on the Elimination of Violence Against Women issued by the UN General Assembly in 1993, defines violence against women as “any act of gender-based violence that results in, or is likely to result in, physical, sexual or psychological harm or suffering to women, including threats of such acts, coercion or arbitrary deprivation of liberty, whether occurring in public or in private life.”

This affects women at all stages of their life, including education, employment, and opportunities.
Some women and girls, such as those in vulnerable situations or humanitarian crises, migrants, LGTBI, indigenous people or those with disabilities, face greater risk.

Violence against women continues to be an obstacle to achieving equality, development, peace as well as to the fulfillment of women and girls’ human rights. All in all, the promise of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) – to leave no one behind – cannot be fulfilled without putting an end to violence against women and girls.