One in three women in the world has suffered partner or sexual violence during their lifetime, and over 8 per cent of women aged between 15 years and 49 years faced sexual violence from a non-partner, finds a recent study by the World Health Organization.
According to the report, in India, over a fifth of women aged 15-49 were subjected to intimate partner violence in 2023, and close to 30 per cent have been affected during their lifetime. As per the WHO report, 8.4 per cent of women in the age category faced sexual violence from a non-partner. In India, 4 pc of women aged above 15 years suffered the sexual violence from a non-partner.
Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, WHO Director-General, said, "Violence against women is one of humanity's oldest and most pervasive injustices, yet still one of the least acted upon. No society can call itself fair, safe or healthy while half its population lives in fear. Ending this violence is not only a matter of policy; it is a matter of dignity, equality and human rights. Behind every statistic is a woman or girl whose life has been forever altered."
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"The estimates presented in this report demonstrate unequivocally that violence against women remains pervasive globally, affecting women across all countries and regions," researchers who conducted the study said.
The report also noted that low funds were allocated for programmes to prevent violence against women. "For instance, in 2022, only 0.2 per cent of the global development aid was allocated to programmes focused on the prevention of violence against women, and funding has further fallen in 2025," it said.
