Key facts about Violence against Women

Violence against women is widespread affecting women of any age, class, race, religion, sexuality or ability.

Women are most at risk from men they know.

When asked, significant numbers of women describe patterns of abusive behaviour and repeat victimisation, rather than discrete assaults.

Women experience violence at different points in their lives and significant numbers of women experience more than one type of violence.

Key Facts

1 in 3 women worldwide have experienced physical and/or sexual violence in their lifetime.

Globally, as many as 38% of murders of women are committed by a male partner.

200 million women and girls have experienced female genital mutilation/cutting (FGM/C).

Each year, 15 million girls are married before the age of 18. That is 28 girls every minute.

It is estimated that up to 10 million children are victims of child sexual exploitation.

School-related gender-based violence means that 1 in 4 girls say that they never feel comfortable using a school latrine.

Between 80 and 100 million girls are 'missing' from the world's population - victims of gender-based infanticide, femicide, malnutrition and neglect.

As many as 1 in 4 women experience physical and/or sexual violence during pregnancy.

As many as 150 million girls worldwide are raped or subject to sexual violence each year, usually by someone in their family circle.

Over 700 million women alive today were married as children (under the age of 18).

There are 5,000 so-called honour killings reported every year around the world. Experts estimate that the actual number of "honour" killings is much higher.

30% of females globally have reported that their first sexual experience was forced.

58 % of new HIV infections among young persons in 2015 occurred among adolescent girls and young women. Violence or the threat of violence affect the ability of girls and young women to protect themselves from HIV.

Domestic violence is a global problem that affects 35% of women worldwide.

Globally, around 137 women are killed by their partner or a family member every day.

Women between the ages of 15 and 44 are at a higher risk of rape and domestic violence than cancer, car accidents, malaria or being injured in war.