Act now to address the shadow pandemic of violence against women

Urgent action is needed across the WHO South-East Asia Region to strengthen efforts to protect women and girls from violence and to support their health needs amid the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic. Globally, one in three women experiences physical and/or sexual violence in her lifetime, mostly in the form of intimate partner violence. In the Region, that figure is estimated to rise to two in five women, or around 40 percent.

Violence against women has serious health impacts, encompassing injuries, as well as physical, mental, sexual and reproductive health problems, including sexually transmitted infections, HIV and unplanned pregnancies, and mental health problems.