The Facets of Gender-based Violence

Gender-based violence (GBV) is a serious historical and global problem that has been described by the United Nations Children Emergency Fund (UNICEF) as “the most pervasive yet least visible human rights violation in the world.”

It is a social issue that cuts across all people of all groups and one that is prevalent in all levels of social and economic standing in human society.

Effectively, we cannot end extreme poverty or achieve the United Nations’ Global Goals if GBV remains such a prominent challenge.

What is gender-based violence?

GBV is defined by the UN as an umbrella term “for any harmful act that is perpetrated against a person’s will and that is based on socially ascribed (gender) differences between females and males.”

4 key facts you should know about gender-based violence

• Globally, 1 in 3 women have been beaten, coerced into sex, or abused in some other way — usually by someone they know.
• Around 641 million women worldwide have experienced at least one incidence of physical and sexual violence from a romantic partner.
• As many as 38% of murders of women globally are committed by their intimate partners.
• In some countries, the World Bank estimates that violence against women can a cost up to 3.7% of the countries GDP in lost productivity — thus impacting the capacities of many families to earn.

How does GBV impact the mission to end extreme poverty?

Ending GBV has been linked to better health for women and children, increased economic activity and inclusion, and helps the world get closer to achieving the UN’s Global Goals to end extreme poverty and its systemic causes.

Studies have also shown that programs and policies that help reduce GBV can further the World Bank’s twin goals of eliminating extreme poverty and boosting shared prosperity.