Particle.news
Download on the App Store

WHO and UN Report Finds Little Progress on Violence Against Women as Funding Falls

The study introduces national estimates of non‑partner sexual violence, urging greater investment in proven prevention.

Overview

  • Nearly one in three women—about 840 million globally—have experienced intimate partner or sexual violence, with 316 million subjected to partner violence in the past year.
  • Progress remains negligible, with intimate partner violence declining by only 0.2% per year over two decades across data from 168 countries collected between 2000 and 2023.
  • For the first time, the report provides national and regional estimates of non‑partner sexual violence, finding 263 million women have been assaulted since age 15.
  • Prevention efforts are severely underfunded, receiving just 0.2% of global development aid in 2022, and funding fell further in 2025, with some reporting linking the drop to U.S. foreign aid cuts.
  • WHO and partners launched the updated RESPECT framework and called for scaled evidence‑based prevention, survivor‑centred services, stronger data systems, and enforcement of protective laws.