Violence Against Women Prevalence Estimates 2018

This report is based on an analysis of available prevalence data from surveys and studies conducted between 2000 and 2018, obtained through a systematic and comprehensive review of all available data on the prevalence of these two forms of violence against women. In 2016, the World Health Organization’s (WHO’s) Member States endorsed the Global plan of action to strengthen the role of the health system within a national multisectoral response to address interpersonal violence, in particular against women and girls, and against children, which includes improving the collection and use of robust data as one of its four strategic directions. Accurate and reliable statistics on violence against women are crucial to improve our understanding of the prevalence, nature and impact of this violence and how these may differ across settings and age cohorts, and to monitor changes over time. The collection, analysis and reporting of these data also play an important role in informing targeted investments into the development of effective and sustainable intersectoral prevention and response policies and programmes for reducing violence against women. While progress has been made, challenges remain in the availability, quality and timely reporting of data on violence against women.

This report is based on an analysis of available prevalence data from surveys and studies conducted between 2000 and 2018, obtained through a systematic and comprehensive review of all available data on the prevalence of these two forms of violence against women. In 2016, the World Health Organization’s (WHO’s) Member States endorsed the Global plan of action to strengthen the role of the health system within a national multisectoral response to address interpersonal violence, in particular against women and girls, and against children, which includes improving the collection and use of robust data as one of its four strategic directions. Accurate and reliable statistics on violence against women are crucial to improve our understanding of the prevalence, nature and impact of this violence and how these may differ across settings and age cohorts, and to monitor changes over time. The collection, analysis and reporting of these data also play an important role in informing targeted investments into the development of effective and sustainable intersectoral prevention and response policies and programmes for reducing violence against women. While progress has been made, challenges remain in the availability, quality and timely reporting of data on violence against women.

Violence against women is a major human rights violation and a global public health problem. This report provides updated estimates for two of the most common forms of violence against women: intimate partner violence, non partner sexual violence. This report is based on an analysis of available prevalence data from surveys and studies conducted between 2000 and 2018, obtained through a systematic and comprehensive review of all available dataon the prevalence of these two forms of violence against women.

"World Health Organization, London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, South African Medical Research Council"--Title page.

Produced in collaboration with the Program for Appropriate Technology in Health (PATH), the Norwegian Agency for International Development (NORAD) and the Swedish International Development Agency (SIDA)