Violence against women is a major cause of death and disability for women of reproductive age, ranking alongside cancer, and a greater cause of ill-health than traffic accidents and malaria combined.(1)

Ongoing sexual, physical and emotional violence takes a heavy toll on women’s physical and mental wellbeing and severely restricts the likelihood of women pulling themselves and their families out of poverty or participating fully in social and political life.

IWDA has supported programs addressing violence against women and girls in the Asia Pacific region for many years.

We will continue to prioritise support for our program partners as they implement strategies to address the social, medical and legal issues surrounding violence against women and girls at the community level.

We will continue to engage men in addressing the high incidence of domestic violence, particularly in Pacific countries.

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Violence against women is a major cause of death and disability for women of reproductive age, ranking alongside cancer, and a greater cause of ill-health than traffic accidents and malaria combined.(1) It’s estimated that worldwide, one in five women becomes a victim of rape or attempted rape in her lifetime. (2) Ongoing sexual, physical and emotional violence takes a heavy toll on women’s physical and mental wellbeing and severely restricts the likelihood of women pulling themselves and their families out of poverty or participating fully in social and political life.

Violence against women is not only an abuse of basic human rights; it also has a significant effect on a country’s social and economic development. Violence and the threat of violence act as a powerful means of reinforcing existing gender inequality and as such, are intrinsically connected to women’s impoverishment.

IWDA has supported programs addressing violence against women and girls in the Asia Pacific region for many years. We will continue to prioritise support for our program partners as they implement strategies to address the social, medical and legal issues surrounding violence against women and girls at the community level. We will continue to engage men in addressing the high incidence of domestic violence, particularly in Pacific countries.

1 Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe 2002, Recommendation 1582 (2002 on Domestic Violence against Women.
2 García-Moreno et al. (2005. WHO Multi-country Study on Women’s Health and Domestic Violence Against Women. Initial results on prevalence, health outcomes and women’s responses, Geneva: WHO, p.74