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ISLAMABAD, Nov 25 (APP):UN Women has issued a renewed call for decisive global action to address violence against women and girls, emphasizing that the issue remains one of the world’s most pervasive human rights violations.
Current data indicate that one in three women worldwide experiences physical or sexual violence during her lifetime, predominantly at the hands of an intimate partner, said in a press release issued here on Tuesday.
UN Women reports that the consequences of such violence are profound, spanning physical and mental health impacts, disruption to social and economic participation, and long-term harm to families and communities.
Although 165 countries have enacted domestic violence laws, the agency notes that only 104 states have adopted comprehensive legislation capable of addressing the full scope of abuse. Countries with robust legal frameworks tend to have lower rates of intimate partner violence compared with those lacking such protections.
UN Women continues to advocate for universal access to quality, coordinated, multi-sectoral services for survivors, including health care, justice pathways, psychosocial support, and safe accommodation. The organization highlights that only 40 per cent of women seek help following an incident of violence, underscoring the need for strengthened service delivery and outreach, particularly for women facing intersecting forms of discrimination.
Prevention remains a central focus of the agency’s strategy. Through partnerships with governments, civil society organizations, and other UN entities, UN Women supports programmes aimed at fostering gender equality, promoting respectful relationships from early ages, and engaging men and boys in violence-prevention efforts.
Over the past decade, initiatives such as Safe Cities and Safe Public Spaces have sought to prevent and respond to sexual harassment in public environments. Since 2017, UN Women has also been a core partner in the Spotlight Initiative, a EUR 500 million global investment targeting gender-based violence across Africa, Asia, Latin America, the Caribbean, and the Pacific.
The organization further emphasizes the importance of improved data collection and analysis, noting that accurate and comprehensive data are essential for understanding trends, identifying risk factors, and developing evidence-based policies.
In its statement, UN Women reaffirmed its commitment to advancing international norms, supporting national action plans, and ensuring that efforts to end violence against women remain central to global human rights and development agendas.