WHO Urges Action on Violence Against Vulnerable Women

The World Health Organization (WHO) is taking significant steps to address violence against vulnerable women, highlighting the critical nature of this issue as both a public health problem and a violation of women’s human rights. Violence against women, especially intimate partner and sexual violence, is a widespread issue that affects approximately one in three women globally. This violence can lead to severe physical, mental, sexual, and reproductive health problems for women and can also have detrimental effects on children and societal well-being.

The COVID-19 pandemic has further exacerbated the risks to women and girls, increasing their vulnerability to violence due to isolation, economic stress, and disruptions to support services. The WHO emphasizes the importance of a multifaceted response involving the empowerment of women, community mobilization, addressing the diverse realities of women, and ensuring that prevention and support services are accessible and adequately resourced. Innovative and proactive solutions are necessary to address and eradicate violence against women, including engaging with women’s rights organizations, community and religious leaders, and implementing survivor-centered responses.

The path forward requires continued action from policymakers, health facility administrators, and community members to ensure that services for survivors are not just maintained but expanded, adapting support services to meet the challenges posed by physical distancing measures and ensuring that women can access the care they need. These efforts underscore the WHO’s commitment to addressing the shadow pandemic of violence against women and achieving a gender-equal region free of violence against women and girls