Gender-based violence (GBV) is one of the most complex and widespread issues of our time. The causes vary, from how we’re raised to understand gender roles, to the unfortunate normalization of violence as a part of life. As governments, civil society organizations, experts and activists from around the world convene for the United Nations Commission on the Status of Women, it’s important to remember that ending gender-based violence is required to achieve full gender equality, helping create an inclusive and just world for all — including women, girls and gender-expansive people. The good news is that GBV can be eradicated in a matter of years, not lifetimes with the right resources going to the right, evidence-based GBV prevention approaches.

2024 is a pivotal year for global democracy and the fight against GBV. With more than 60 countries—approximately 4 billion people—participating in local, regional, and national elections, reinstated and transitioning governments must meet the moment and drive action through increased financial commitment to GBV prevention. We call upon incoming and reinstated political leaders and policymakers globally to prioritize the allocation of funds for GBV prevention in their first 100 days in office.

An estimated 736 million women—1 in 3 women—have experienced violence in their lifetime, with most perpetrated by current or former husbands or intimate partners, yet only a small fraction of the world’s governments directly fund prevention work in their national policies and only 27 countries track and have dedicated budgets for gender equality and women’s empowerment. Ending GBV requires focused programs and policies that prevent violence before it begins. Through years of collective research and practice, we’ve learned that financial investments toward the implementation of strategies that shift cultural norms, empower individuals, mobilize communities, and transform the social and structural factors that underpin violence are proven to effectively prevent gender-based violence.

Effective GBV prevention requires long-term, sustained financial commitment from national governments that will support and advance transformative change across countries and regions. We, the undersigned organizations and advocates, call upon governments globally to prioritize women, girls, and gender-expansive people through increased GBV prevention funding in 2024, and subsequently thereafter. We are asking national governments to not only allocate funding for evidence-based, practice-informed GBV prevention initiatives delivered through existing systems and civil society, but also for evidence building, and capacity strengthening  of institutions and government officials to be able to develop GBV programmes and utilize the funds appropriately. By 2026, we aim for at least 50% of all countries to commit to this initiative through dedicated budget lines, whether independently or in conjunction with international aid efforts and inline with the targets of the Action Coalition on GBV and Generation Equality.

Read the full article about gender-based violence at The Accelerator for GBV Prevention.