WHO Report: One-Third of Women Face Violence, With First National Estimates of Non-Partner Sexual Assault

Overview

• WHO estimates roughly 840 million women have faced intimate-partner or sexual violence in their lifetime, with 316 million experiencing partner violence in the past year.
• For the first time, the agency provides national and regional figures for sexual violence by non-partners, estimating about 263 million affected women aged 15 or older.
• Progress has been painfully slow, with intimate-partner violence declining by only 0.2% annually over two decades as prevention programs receive just 0.2% of 2022 development aid.
• Violence begins early, with 12.5 million girls aged 15–19 reporting physical or sexual abuse by a partner in the past year.
• Disproportionate risks fall on women in poorer, conflict-affected and climate-vulnerable regions, with Oceania excluding Australia and New Zealand showing about 38% partner-violence prevalence.