International Day for the Elimination of Violence Against Women: The Ongoing Struggle Against Gender-Based Violence

Strategic Insights -

The world marks the International Day for the Elimination of Violence against Women and the start of the 16 Days of Activism Against Gender-Based Violence Campaign, highlighting the alarming scourge of gender-based violence that continues to affect communities globally. Despite progress, women and girls face unimaginable setbacks, including increased risk of child marriage, intimate-partner violence, and forced marriage, particularly exacerbated by conflict, economic inequality, and climate change. In the United States, intimate-partner violence persists, disproportionately affecting underrepresented communities, while globally, one in five girls will be married before age 18 and one in three women will experience physical or sexual violence in their lifetime.

Key Takeaways:

  • The U.S. Mission to the United Nations has committed to fighting the horrifying scourge of gender-based violence, which affects communities globally and devastates potential for women and girls.
  • Harmful gender and social norms, exacerbated by conflict, economic inequality, and climate change, continue to perpetuate gender-based violence across the world.
  • The COVID-19 pandemic has led to immense setbacks for women and girls, including heightened risk of child, early, and forced marriage for millions, and increased intimate-partner and sexual violence.
  • In 2022, one in five girls will be married before reaching age 18 and one in three women will experience sexual or physical violence in their lifetime.
  • The international community must do more to eliminate gender-based violence over the next decade.
  • The U.S. will recommit its efforts to addressing this human rights abuse with the forthcoming update to the U.S. Strategy to Prevent and Respond to Gender-Based Violence Globally.
  • The U.S. is working to prevent and respond to gender-based violence in humanitarian contexts, ensure survivors' access to health services, and promote accountability and justice for conflict-related sexual violence.

Statistics:

  • One in five girls will be married before reaching age 18 in 2022.
  • One in three women will experience sexual or physical violence in their lifetime.
  • The U.S. has committed to recommitting its efforts to addressing gender-based violence globally.
  • The U.S. is working to prevent and respond to gender-based violence in humanitarian contexts.

Sources:

  • "The U.S. Mission to the United Nations (Addressed to the International Community)"[ United Nations News ](https://news.un.org/en/story/2022/11/1119752)