Imagine living in a world where half of the population lives in fear of experiencing violence, just because of their gender. Well, you don't have to stretch the limits of your imagination too far because that’s the world we currently live in.

Our world is one in which, according to UN Women, being a woman means you are more likely to be a target of sexual harassment in the form of unwelcome sexual remarks, catcalling, and gestures in public spaces on a daily basis.

It’s also a world in which women fear being followed on their way home. A world in which 1 in 3 women have been subjected to physical and/or sexual intimate partner violence, non-partner sexual violence, or both, at least once in their lives.

It’s a world in which being a girl means your bodily autonomy can be taken away — whether that’s through harmful practices such as Female Genital Mutilation (FGM) or a lack of access to abortion options or other fundamental parts of Sexual and Reproductive Health and Rights (SRHR).

Despite some progress being made in recent years to tackle gender-based violence (GBV) against women in the form of the global #MeToo movement and an uptick in governments adopting feminist foreign policies, sexual harassment and other forms of violence against women and girls in public spaces are still often neglected, with few laws or policies in place to prevent and address them, according to UN Women.

While such violent and unwelcomed acts can happen on streets, in and around transportation, schools, workplaces, public toilets, and parks, GBV isn’t restricted to public spaces. In 2022, around 48,800 women and girls worldwide were killed by their intimate partners or other family members, meaning that, on average, more than 133 women or girls were killed every day by someone in their own family.

This reality of GBV is that it reduces women and girls’ freedom of movement; it reduces their ability to participate in school, work, and public life; it limits their access to essential services and their enjoyment of cultural and recreational activities; and negatively impacts their health and well-being.

The current trend of GBV and femicide is a stark reminder of the scale of gender inequality and discrimination against women and girls. Here are eight women-led organizations taking a stand against gender-based violence and working to keep women and girls safe around the world.

Read the full article about gender-based violence by Fadeke Banjo at Global Citizen.