Health impacts of abuse against women and girls

Violence against women is an act of gender-based violence that results in, or is likely to result in, physical, sexual, or mental harm or suffering to women, including threats of such acts, coercion, or arbitrary deprivation of liberty, whether occurring in public or in private life.

The World Health organisation (WHO) has an article titled Violence Against Women and within this article various areas are covered including:

• Violence against women – particularly intimate partner violence and sexual violence – is a major public health problem and a violation of women's human rights.
• Estimates published by WHO indicate that globally about 1 in 3 (30%) of women worldwide have been subjected to either physical and/or sexual intimate partner violence or non-partner sexual violence in their lifetime.
• Most of this violence is intimate partner violence. Worldwide, almost one third (27%) of women aged 15-49 years who have been in a relationship report that they have been subjected to some form of physical and/or sexual violence by their intimate partner.
• Violence can negatively affect women’s physical, mental, sexual, and reproductive health, and may increase the risk of acquiring HIV in some settings.
• Violence against women is preventable. 

All staff are strongly encouraged to complete training in Safeguarding of Children and Vulnerable Adults. An example of this training is found in the Counter Excellence part of the Numartknet training platform and can also be found at the attached link. Safeguarding