Icon: enlarge
A protester carries a poster with the words "Stop domestic violence" during a protest in Zurich
Photo: Arnd Wiegmann / REUTERS
According to a study by the World Health Organization (WHO), violence against women is ubiquitous and for many women begins at a very young age.
Almost every third woman - around 852 million worldwide - is exposed to violence during her lifetime.
The coronavirus pandemic exacerbated this because girls were more at home or spouses became violent in the lockdown situation under stress.
The organization therefore calls on governments to prevent violence, improve counseling services for victims and eliminate inequalities that often keep women and girls trapped in abusive relationships.
The number of unreported cases of rape is significantly higher
Violence begins at an "alarmingly young" age, the organization announced.
One in four young people or women between the ages of 15 and 19 worldwide has already experienced violence in a relationship.
Around six percent of all women reported assaults by men with whom they were not in a relationship.
But because women are often stigmatized after being raped, for example, the WHO assumes that the true number is significantly higher.
For its study, the WHO claims that it uses data from 2000 to 2018 from 161 countries.
However, information from the pandemic year 2020 was not evaluated.
Women from poorer countries are particularly hard hit
Women in poorer countries are particularly affected, as the WHO reports.
In some countries, half of women report assaults.
Countries with the most common incidents include Bangladesh, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, and Afghanistan.
The rate is lowest in European countries with up to 23 percent.
Icon: The mirror
mjm / Reuters
