Nearly 840 million women worldwide—almost one in three—have faced partner or sexual violence at some point in their lives, according to a new report from the World Health Organization (WHO) and UN partners. The findings, released ahead of the International Day for the Elimination of Violence Against Women, reveal that progress on this crisis has stalled for two decades.
The report draws from data in 168 countries and shows that, just in the last year, 316 million women—11 percent of those aged 15 or older—were subjected to violence by an intimate partner. For the first time, the research also looks at violence by non-partners, finding that 263 million women have experienced sexual violence from someone other than a partner since age 15—a figure experts warn is likely an undercount due to stigma and fear.
“Violence against women is one of humanity’s oldest and harshest injustices, but still one of the least addressed,” said WHO Director-General Dr. Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus. He called for urgent action, noting every statistic “is a woman or girl whose life has been forever changed.”
Many survivors face forced pregnancies, increased risk of disease, and depression. The report also found that violence starts young: in the past year, 12.5 million adolescent girls aged 15–19—about 16 percent—were harmed by an intimate partner. Rates are highest in places hit by poverty, conflict, or climate disasters, with parts of Oceania reporting rates more than triple the global average.
Despite some progress in a handful of countries, funding for prevention and survivor support is falling. In 2022, only 0.2 percent of global aid went to stopping violence against women programs—funding that shrank again in 2025. The report also highlights gaps in data, especially for marginalized and at-risk groups.
Still, places like Cambodia, Ecuador, Liberia, Trinidad and Tobago, and Uganda have put new national plans in place, updated laws, or improved services—showing change is possible with political will.
The report calls for governments to boost prevention efforts, invest in survivor-centered services, improve legal protections, and build better data systems to reach the most at-risk women and girls.
“There can be no more silence or inaction,” the authors say. “Real change starts with leaders who are willing to commit—and act.”
