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Campaign Against Domestic Violence, Intimate Violence, Sexual Violence & Health Implications

The breadth of the problem

The estimates of the prevalence of intimate relationship violence and sexual violence that are derived from population-level surveys based on survivor reports are the most accurate estimates. According to an analysis conducted by the World Health Organization (WHO) in 2018 of prevalence data from 2000 to 2018 across 161 countries and areas on behalf of the United Nations Interagency Working Group on Violence Against Women, nearly one in every three women, or 30%, have experienced physical and/or sexual violence by an intimate partner, non-partner sexual violence, or both. The analysis was conducted across 161 countries and areas.

Estimates of the frequency and severity of violence against women on a worldwide and regional scale

More than a quarter of women between the ages of 15 and 49 who have been in a relationship have, at some point in their lives (since they were 15), been the victim of physical and/or sexual violence at the hands of an intimate partner. Estimates of the lifetime prevalence of intimate partner violence range from 20% in the Western Pacific, 22% in high-income countries and Europe, and 25% in the World Health Organization Regions of the Americas, to 33% in the WHO African region, 31% in the WHO Eastern Mediterranean region, and 33% in the WHO South-East Asia region.

Up to 38 percent of all female homicides worldwide can be attributed to partners in intimate relationships. In addition to experiencing violence at the hands of an intimate relationship, 6% of women around the world report having been sexually attacked by someone who was not a partner, despite the fact that statistics on this topic are scarce. The most common forms of violence perpetrated against women by men are that which occur within close relationships and sexual violence.

Women were more likely to be subjected to abusive partners and preexisting risk factors as a result of lockdowns that occurred during the COVID-19 pandemic and its subsequent social and economic effects. Humanitarian crises and displacement have the potential to exacerbate existing forms of violence against women, such as intimate relationships and non-partner sexual violence, and also have the potential to give rise to brand-new forms of violence against women.

A look at some of the factors that are associated with sexual and domestic violence against women

The likelihood of intimate partner and sexual violence is increased or decreased by a number of factors that interact at the individual, family, neighborhood, and community levels, as well as at the larger societal level. Some are connected with being violent offenders, some with having been victims of violence, and yet others with having been involved in both scenarios.

The following are some risk factors for both sexual violence and violence toward intimate partners:

lower levels of education (both the perpetrator and the victim of sexual violence);
a history of child abuse (both the perpetrator and the victim of sexual violence);
witnessing family violence (both the perpetrator and the victim of sexual violence);
antisocial personality disorder (both the perpetrator and the victim of sexual violence);
harmful use of alcohol (both the perpetrator and the victim of sexual violence);
harmful masculine behaviors (both the perpetrator and the victim of sexual violence), such as having multiple partners or attitudes that condone violence;
a prior history of exposure to violence, marital instability, and discontent, communication problems between spouses, and dominant attitudes displayed by men toward their partners are all characteristics that are especially related to intimate partner violence;
beliefs in family honor and sexual purity, perceptions of male sexual entitlement, and inadequate legal sanctions for sexual assault are all factors that have been linked to the commission of the sexual assault and other forms of sexual violence;
inequality between the sexes and preconceived notions of what constitutes acceptable behavior toward women are at the root of the problem of violence against women.

Implications for one's health

Intimate partner violence, which can take many forms (physical, sexual, and psychological), as well as sexual violence, can have a significant negative impact on a woman's physical, mental, sexual, and reproductive health, both in the short and long term. Additionally, they have an effect on the health and well-being of their own children. The effects of this violence on women, their families, and society as a whole are severe on both the social and economic fronts.

Such violence can:

result in fatal outcomes such as homicide or suicide;
cause injuries, with 42% of women experiencing intimate partner violence reporting an injury as a result of this violence;
result in unintended pregnancies, induced abortions, gynecological problems, and sexually transmitted infections, including HIV;
result in the transmission of sexually transmitted infections, including HIV.

According to a study that was conducted in 2013 by the World Health Organization on the health burden of violence against women, women who had been physically or sexually assaulted were 1.5 times more likely to have a sexually transmitted infection and HIV, than women who had not experienced partner violence. This was found to be the case regardless of where the study was conducted. Additionally, there is a threefold increased likelihood that they will have an abortion.

Abuse by an intimate partner during pregnancy raises the chance of adverse delivery outcomes for the unborn child, including stillbirth, early birth, and low birth weight. According to the same research from 2013, women who had experienced abuse from an intimate partner had a 16% increased risk of having a miscarriage and a 41% increased risk of having a premature birth.

These forms of violence can lead to mental health conditions such as depression, post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), and other anxiety disorders, as well as difficulties sleeping and eating, and even attempts at taking one's own life. A study that was conducted in 2013 found that women who had been abused by an intimate relationship were nearly twice as likely to suffer from depression and problem drinking as women who had not been abused by an intimate partner. There is a possibility of experiencing a variety of unpleasant side effects, including headaches, pain syndromes (such as back pain, stomach pain, and persistent pelvic pain), gastrointestinal disorders, limited mobility, and poor overall health.

It's possible that people who have been sexually assaulted, especially when they were younger, have higher rates of smoking, drinking, and engaging in risky sexual behavior. There is a correlation between being a violent offender (in the case of males) and being a victim of violence (in the case of females) as well.

The influence on young people

Children who are raised in households that are aggressive are at increased risk for developing a variety of emotional and behavioral issues. These can also be linked to a person's increased risk of engaging in or being a victim of violent behavior later in life. Intimate partner violence has also been related to higher rates of infant and child mortality and morbidity, such as diarrheal disease and malnutrition, as well as lower immunization rates. This association was made when researchers found a correlation between the two factors.

Costs both economically and socially

There is a massive social and economic cost associated with intimate partner and sexual violence, and these costs have ramifications for the entire society. Women may endure social isolation, inability to work, loss of money, lack of engagement in usual activities, and a limited ability to care for themselves as well as their children as a result of pregnancy-related medical conditions.

Evidence is beginning to emerge, based on evaluations that have been carefully constructed, regarding what works to reduce violence against women. Respect for Women is a framework for reducing violence against women that was produced in 2019 by WHO and UN Women, with support from 12 additional United Nations and bilateral organizations.

Its target audience is policymakers

Changing attitudes, beliefs, and norms, as well as strengthening interpersonal skills, empowering women, assuring services, decreasing poverty, building enabling environments (schools, workplaces, public spaces), preventing child and adolescent abuse, and creating enabling environments (schools, workplaces, public spaces). These seven tactics are represented by each letter of the acronym RESPECT. For each of these seven possibilities, there is a range of interventions that can be implemented in low-resource and high-resource settings, and the levels of evidence supporting their efficacy can vary.

Examples of promising interventions include:

psychosocial support and psychological interventions for survivors of intimate partner violence; community mobilization interventions to change unequal gender norms. All of these interventions are examples of promising mediation.
combined economic and social empowerment programs;
cash transfers;
working with couples to improve communication and relationship skills;
community mobilization interventions to change unequal gender norms;
school programs that improve school safety and reduce or eliminate harsh punishment, as well as curricula that challenge genocide;

RESPECT also places an emphasis on the fact that effective treatments center on the protection of women; the key components of these treatments include facing unequal power dynamics between the sexes, encouraging participation, addressing a variety of risk factors through coordinated programming, and commencing therapy at a young age. It is essential to enact and enforce laws requiring gender equality, establish and execute policies requiring gender equality, allocate resources to prevention and response, and invest in organizations that advocate for women's rights if the long-term change is to be accomplished.

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