Updated WHO data reveal persistence of violence against women and girls across the Western Pacific – World Health Organization (WHO)

Report on Gender-Based Violence and its Implications for Sustainable Development Goals

Updated data from the World Health Organization (WHO), released in conjunction with the 16 Days of Activism against Gender-Based Violence, indicates a persistent global crisis that directly undermines the achievement of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), particularly SDG 5 (Gender Equality). The findings confirm that gender-based violence (GBV) remains a widespread public health emergency and a grave violation of human rights, with progress towards its elimination stagnating since 2000.

Statistical Overview: A Critical Barrier to SDG 5 (Gender Equality)

Global and Regional Prevalence

The persistence of violence against women and girls represents a significant failure to meet the targets of SDG 5, specifically Target 5.2, which calls for the elimination of all forms of violence against women and girls. Key statistics highlight the scale of the challenge:

• Global Rate: Nearly one in three women and girls globally have experienced intimate partner violence or sexual violence in their lifetime.
• Western Pacific Region: More than a quarter of women and girls in the region have experienced such violence. Lifetime prevalence of intimate partner violence (IPV) affects nearly one in five women.
• Extreme Disparities: In several Pacific island countries, the prevalence of lifetime IPV is as high as one in two women, representing some of the highest rates in the world and a severe impediment to achieving gender equality.

Impact on Health, Well-being, and Justice (SDGs 3 & 16)

Public Health Consequences and SDG 3

Violence against women has profound and lasting effects on health and development, directly conflicting with the objectives of SDG 3 (Good Health and Well-being). The consequences limit women’s full participation in society and include:

• Depression and other mental health conditions, undermining SDG Target 3.4.
• Physical injury.
• Poor reproductive health outcomes, hindering progress on SDG Target 3.7.

Systemic Gaps in Health and Institutional Response

A WHO survey on health system readiness reveals critical gaps that prevent an effective response, thereby failing the principles of both SDG 3 and SDG 16 (Peace, Justice and Strong Institutions). Major challenges include:

1. Inadequate Service Access: While many national plans acknowledge the health sector’s role, survivors often cannot reliably access essential health and social services.
2. Limited and Inequitable Care: Comprehensive post-rape care is not widely available, with significant geographic inequities in access, particularly at the subnational level.
3. Data Deficiencies for Accountability: Just over half of the countries have conducted recent surveys on violence against women. These data gaps hinder monitoring, accountability, and the development of evidence-based policies required to build the effective and accountable institutions envisioned in SDG 16.

Strategic Recommendations for Accelerating SDG Progress

A Multi-Sectoral Call to Action

To build safer, healthier futures and achieve related SDG targets, the WHO calls on Member States and partners to strengthen policies and systems. This requires a concerted effort that aligns with SDG 17 (Partnerships for the Goals).

Key Recommendations

• Policy Integration: Integrate GBV prevention and response into all health and development policies to ensure a comprehensive approach.
• Strengthen Health Systems (SDG 3): Develop and implement health system guidelines consistent with WHO and international human rights standards. Ensure comprehensive post-rape care is available in all subnational areas to eliminate geographic inequities.
• Enhance Institutional Capacity (SDG 16): Expand training for health workers, improve surveillance systems, and invest in evidence-based prevention interventions such as shifting harmful gender norms and promoting safe environments.
• Improve Data for Accountability (SDG 5 & 16): Regularly collect disaggregated data on violence against women and girls to inform policy, monitor progress towards SDG 5, and ensure accountability.

Analysis of Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) in the Article

1. Which SDGs are addressed or connected to the issues highlighted in the article?

• SDG 5: Gender Equality – The article’s central theme is gender-based violence, a primary obstacle to achieving gender equality. It focuses on eliminating violence against women and girls.
• SDG 3: Good Health and Well-being – The article explicitly links violence against women to severe health consequences, including depression, injury, and poor reproductive outcomes. It also emphasizes the crucial role of the health system in responding to this violence.
• SDG 16: Peace, Justice and Strong Institutions – The article frames gender-based violence as a “grave human rights violation” and calls for stronger policies, legal mechanisms, and data systems to ensure accountability and justice.

2. What specific targets under those SDGs can be identified based on the article’s content?

1. SDG 5: Gender Equality

   • Target 5.2: Eliminate all forms of violence against all women and girls in the public and private spheres. The entire article is dedicated to this target, providing data on the prevalence of intimate partner violence (IPV) and sexual violence, and calling for action to end it. It states that “violence against women and girls remains alarmingly widespread.”
   • Target 5.c: Adopt and strengthen sound policies and enforceable legislation for the promotion of gender equality. The article calls for governments to “use data to drive stronger policies,” “strengthen legal and policy mechanisms,” and integrate violence prevention into “national multisectoral plans.”

2. SDG 3: Good Health and Well-being

   • Target 3.7: Ensure universal access to sexual and reproductive health-care services. The article highlights the need for “comprehensive post-rape care” and notes that its availability is limited, pointing to “stark geographic inequities in access to care.” This directly relates to providing essential sexual and reproductive health services.
   • Target 3.8: Achieve universal health coverage, including access to quality essential health-care services. The call to “invest in health system readiness” and ensure survivors can “reliably access these critical health and social services” aligns with the goal of universal health coverage. The article also points out gaps in the “availability of essential services.”

3. SDG 16: Peace, Justice and Strong Institutions

   • Target 16.1: Significantly reduce all forms of violence and related death rates everywhere. The article’s focus on the high prevalence of violence against women and girls is a direct call to action for this target. It also mentions that few countries maintain “usable homicide data,” which is a key metric for measuring progress on this target.
   • Target 16.2: End abuse, exploitation, trafficking and all forms of violence against and torture of children. The article consistently refers to “violence against women and girls,” explicitly including the younger demographic covered by this target.

3. Are there any indicators mentioned or implied in the article that can be used to measure progress towards the identified targets?

1. SDG 5: Gender Equality

   • Indicator 5.2.1: Proportion of ever-partnered women and girls subjected to physical, sexual or psychological violence by a current or former intimate partner. The article provides specific statistics for this indicator, such as “9.0% of girls and women aged 15−49 experienced IPV in the past 12 months” and “Nearly one in five girls and women will have experienced IPV in their lifetime.”
   • Indicator 5.2.2: Proportion of women and girls subjected to sexual violence by persons other than an intimate partner. The article directly reports on this, stating that “4.3% experienced non-partner sexual violence in the last 12 months, and 9.4% in their lifetime.”

2. SDG 3: Good Health and Well-being

   • Implied Indicator for Target 3.7/3.8: Availability of essential health services for survivors of violence. The article implies the need for this indicator by highlighting that “comprehensive post-rape care remains limited” and that only a “small number of countries ensure that these services are available in every subnational area.” A measure of health facility readiness and service availability would track progress.

3. SDG 16: Peace, Justice and Strong Institutions

   • Indicator 16.1.1: Number of victims of intentional homicide per 100,000 population. The article directly addresses the data gap for this indicator, noting that “even fewer [countries] maintaining usable homicide data,” which hinders monitoring and accountability.
   • Indicator 16.1.3: Proportion of population subjected to physical, psychological or sexual violence in the previous 12 months. The data cited for Indicators 5.2.1 and 5.2.2 (e.g., “9.0% of girls and women aged 15−49 experienced IPV in the past 12 months”) directly serves as a measure for this indicator as well.

Summary Table of SDGs, Targets, and Indicators

Source: who.int