Violence against women and girls VAWG is one of the most widespread, persistent and devastating human rights violations in our world today remains largely unreported due to the impunity, silence, stigma and shame surrounding it. The adverse psychological, sexual and reproductive health consequences of VAWG affect women at all stages of their life.
For example, early-set educational disadvantages not only represent the primary obstacle to universal schooling and the right to education for girls; down the line they are also to blame for restricting access to higher education and even translate into limited opportunities for women in the labour market. While gender-based violence can happen to anyone, anywhere, some women and girls are particularly vulnerable - for instance, young girls and older women, women who identify as lesbian, bisexual, transgender or intersex, migrants and refugees, indigenous women and ethnic minorities, or women and girls living with HIV and disabilities, and those living through humanitarian crises.
All in all, the promise of the Sustainable Development Goals SDGs - to leave no one behind - cannot be fulfilled without putting an end to violence against women and girls. Efforts to prevent and end violence against women at the global, regional and national levels shows that there is widespread impunity on sexual violence and rape. Like in previous years, this year's International Day will mark the launch of 16 days of activism that will conclude on 10 December , which is International Human Rights Day.
Several public events are being coordinated for this year's International Day. Join the campaign! You can participate in person or on social media using our official material! Image: UN Women. Let us not forget that the gender inequalities that fuel rape culture are essentially a question of power imbalances. Why we must eliminate violence against women Violence against women and girls VAWG is one of the most widespread, persistent and devastating human rights violations in our world today remains largely unreported due to the impunity, silence, stigma and shame surrounding it.
In general terms, it manifests itself in physical, sexual and psychological forms, encompassing: intimate partner violence battering, psychological abuse, marital rape, femicide ; sexual violence and harassment rape, forced sexual acts, unwanted sexual advances, child sexual abuse, forced marriage, street harassment, stalking, cyber- harassment ; human trafficking slavery, sexual exploitation ; female genital mutilation; and child marriage.
