What is violence against women and girls?

What is violence against women and girls?

Violence against women and girls is an umbrella term used to describe any form of abuse directed at women and girls.

Violence against women and girls can includes domestic abuse; rape and sexual violence; stalking; forced marriage; so-called honour based violence; female genital mutilation (FGM); trafficking and sexual exploitation including through the sex industry; and sexual harassment in work and public life.

The term Violence Against Women and Girls helps us see the disproportionate nature of these forms of abuse and helps us to understand that this abuse is directed at women and girls simply because they are women and girls.

Violence against women and girls is both a cause and consequence of the inequality between women and men in our society.

 

For support

Anyone affected by these forms of violence and abuse should be able to access help and support when they need it and every case should be taken seriously.

The Live Fear Free Helpline is available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week for women, children and men experiencing domestic abuse, sexual violence or other forms of violence against women.

¹ The ONS 2020 reports that in year ending March 2020 that 92% of defendants in domestic abuse related  prosecutions were male. Further evidence from the Crown Prosecution Service shows the disproportionately gendered nature of these crimes.