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International Perspectives on Domestic Violence

Domestic violence is not an issue exclusive to the United States or other developed countries. According to the World Health Organization, partner violence appears to have a similar impact on women’s health and well-being regardless of where she lives, the prevalence of violence in her setting, or her cultural or economic background.

In fact, while healthy life expectancy is higher for women than men in most countries, a number of health and gender factors put women at a comparative disadvantage:

• Between 15 percent and 71 percent of women suffer physical or sexual violence committed by an intimate male partner at some point in their life.
• Some studies show that up to 1 in 5 women reports being sexually abused before the age of 15.

»Read more about factors influencing women's health worldwide.

Human rights organizations agree that the international community has significant work to do to ensure safety to women and girls worldwide:

The underlying cause of violence against women lies in gender discrimination—the denial of women’s equality with men in all areas of life. Women are also targeted because of their race, class, culture, sexual identity or HIV status, or because they are from poor or marginalized communities. (Amnesty International)

»Learn more about Amnesty International's work to end violence against women.

Unremedied domestic violence essentially denies women equality before the law and reinforces their subordinate social status. Men use domestic violence to diminish women’s autonomy and sense of self-worth. States that fail to prevent and prosecute domestic violence treat women as second-class citizens and send a clear message that the violence against them is of no concern to the broader society. (Human Rights Watch)

»Find out more about Human Rights Watch's work on international domestic violence issues.