Reacción a "Almost one in three women has experienced violence from a partner or sexual violence outside of a relationship, according to a WHO report"

Is the report of good quality? Does it fit with existing evidence?

“The report is of good quality and is based on a review of prevalence data from a large number of surveys and population studies conducted in all WHO member states and other territories and areas with available data between 2000 and 2023 (published before 30 November 2024). Specifically, the estimate of the prevalence of intimate partner violence in the last 12 months is based on 441 studies from 164 countries and areas in all regions, and the estimate of the prevalence of sexual violence in the last 12 months by a non-partner is based on 189 studies from 125 countries and areas.

According to the report, the estimated prevalences are the most reliable to date as the data on which they are based have been expanded and the estimation methods have been improved to produce the most robust estimates from the available data.

One issue that may be important to note is that the report states that, due to changes in methodology and increased data availability, these 2023 estimates are not comparable with previously published prevalence estimates, the 2018 and 2010 estimates (published by the WHO in 2021 and 2013).

The findings of this report reiterate and reinforce data from previous reports, showing that violence against women remains a global problem affecting women in all countries and regions.

What data would you highlight?

Almost one in three women (30.4% of those aged 15 and over) have experienced intimate partner violence and/or sexual violence by someone other than their partner at some point in their lives, a figure that has hardly changed since 2000.

In the last 12 months, 11.4% of women aged 15 and over who have been married or in a relationship have been subjected to physical or sexual violence by their partner, although there are large differences in prevalence, ranging from 38% in Oceania (excluding Australia and New Zealand) to 5% in Europe and North America. Progress in reducing intimate partner violence has been very slow, with an annual decline of only 0.2% over the last two decades.

Despite the seriousness of the problem, funding remains inadequate. The report notes that, despite evidence of the effectiveness of strategies to prevent violence against women, funding for these initiatives is collapsing, just as humanitarian emergencies, technological changes and rising socio-economic inequality are further increasing the risks to millions of women and girls. For example, in 2022, only 0.2% of global development aid was allocated to programmes focused on preventing violence against women, and funding has declined even further in 2025.

What are the implications?

"Every day, millions of women around the world are victims of violence by their partners and/or sexual violence by people other than their partners. Such violence has an immediate and long-term impact on the physical and mental health of women, girls and boys, families and societies, significantly undermining women's well-being. Violence against women is a major public health problem and, according to the report by the WHO and its United Nations partners, violence against women remains one of the most persistent and least addressed human rights crises in the world, with very little progress made in two decades."

Are there any limitations to be aware of?

In several countries, there are no data on the prevalence of intimate partner violence, and some have not conducted a survey in almost a decade. The way violence is assessed is not identical in all countries.

It is very likely that the prevalence of sexual violence by someone other than a partner is much higher. In addition to this type of violence being more complex to measure because it is highly stigmatised, it is very likely that in many places women do not report it."