Key messages

• Gender-based violence is a global public health, gender equality and human rights priority. It remains a systemic crisis, affecting 1 in 3 women worldwide. Risks increase during humanitarian emergencies or when women face greater curtailments of their essential rights, such as access to education, healthcare or freedom of movement.
  
  
• While violence affects women everywhere, women and girls in certain groups - such as those living with disability, adolescent girls and older women - often face even greater difficulty to have their voices heard and to access support.
  
  
• Too often people respond to violence by blaming or shaming the victim – for instance, for what they wore or what they did, or because they belong to a particular group, or people hesitate to offer support because it takes place in ‘private’ or among people we know.
  
  
• We must change the story, challenge misogyny and violence, and make sure women are heard. Women and girls everywhere should be able to access the help they need, when they need it, so we can end violence once and for all.
  
  
• Health workers are often the first, sometimes only, point of contact for women experiencing violence. They can provide compassionate care for survivors by offering first-line support, medical examination and treatment, and referrals to other essential service s. This requires investing in training and resources to ensure appropriate care.

What you can do

Help comes in many forms – we can all play a role in preventing violence against women and girls.

 If you are experiencing violence, remember you are not alone and it’s not your fault. It may be helpful, if safe to do so, to reach out to family, friends and neighbours, consult a health worker, or to seek support from a hotline or from specialist services.

If you know of, or are concerned about, someone experiencing violence there are some things you can do – starting with being willing to listen:

• Keep in touch with the person, ensuring that it is safe for them to be in touch with you. They might not be ready to talk, but try to find quiet times when they can talk if they choose to.
• Find out what services for survivors of violence against women are available. Only provide this information directly if you can do so discretely. Allow them to make their own decisions. 
• If someone you know needs urgent help for whatever reason, be prepared to call emergency services.

Health workers should provide first-line support, for all kinds of violence: 

• Listen closely, with empathy and without judgement.
• Inquire about women’s needs and concerns.
• Validate women’s experiences. Show you believe and understand.
• Enhance their safety.
• Support women to connect with additional services.

Amplify the message…

• Learn more, visit the WHO violence against women  health topic page and accompanying   factsheet, or use the interactive database to learn more about prevalence across countries, regions, and age groups.
• On social media, share WHO’s  infographics and videos to encourage awareness and help people seek appropriate help. You can tag @WHO & @HRPresearch and use hashtags: #OrangeTheWorld / #16Days / #EndViolence