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Updated February 25, 2016
U.S. Efforts to Address Global Violence Against Women
During the past two decades, U.S. policymakers, as well as
many in the international community, have increasingly
recognized violence against women (VAW, also referred to
as gender-based violence) as a significant global health,
human rights, and security issue. Violence against women,
which includes random acts of violence as well as sustained
abuse over time, can be physical, psychological, or sexual
in nature. Many experts view it as a symptom of the
historically unequal power relationship between men and
women and maintain that over time this imbalance has led
to pervasive cultural stereotypes and attitudes that
perpetuate a cycle of violence.
There are many different types of violence perpetrated
against women, including
* Intimate partner violence, one of the most common
forms, can include forced sex, physical violence, and
psychological abuse.
* Honor killings can involve cases when women are
stoned, burned, or beaten to death, often by their own
family members, in order to preserve the family honor.
* Dowry-related violence can arise when victims are
attacked or killed by in-laws for not bringing a large
enough dowry to the marriage.
* Female genital cutting (FGC), a procedure that
intentionally alters female genital organs for non-
medical reasons, is a continued problem in some African
and Middle Eastern countries.
* Trafficking in persons, which disproportionately affects
women and girls.
Violence against women occurs in all geographic regions,
countries, cultures, and economic classes, although some
studies have found that women in developing countries
experience higher rates of violence than those in developed
countries. A 2013 World Health Organization (WHO)
review of global data found that 35% of women worldwide
have experienced physical and/or sexual intimate partner
violence or non-partner sexual violence.
Violence against women is a key area of concern in many
humanitarian crises, armed conflict, and post-conflict
situations, where women and girls are often particularly
vulnerable. Many experts agree that current levels of
violence reported through studies and law enforcement
records underrepresent the number of actual cases.
Incidents are often not reported because of the shame
associated with being a victim, fear of reprisal, or lack of
adequate law enforcement infrastructure.
Global efforts to address the issue are wide-ranging. Non-
governmental organizations (NGOs), governments, and
international organizations such as the United Nations
implement large and small-scale anti-VAW activities.
International mechanisms, including the U.N. Commission
on the Status of Women and the Convention on the
Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination Against
Women, have also sought to address the issue.
President Obama and past Presidents have generally
supported efforts to combat global violence against
women-often as components of broader foreign aid
initiatives. Key implementing agencies and offices include
the Department of State (including the Office of Global
Women's Issues) and the U.S. Agency for International
Development (USAID) (including the Office of Gender
Equality and Women's Empowerment). The Departments
of Defense, Health and Human Services, Homeland
Security, Justice, and Labor also support such activities.
[Gender-based] violence ... significantly hinders
the ability of individuals to fully participate in and
contribute to their families and communities -
economically, politically, and socially. U.S. Strategy
to Prevent and Respond to Gender Based Violence
Globally, August 2012
The Obama Administration has expressed its commitment
to incorporating anti-VAW efforts into all aspects of U.S.
foreign policy. In August 2012, President Obama issued an
executive order to launch the multi-year US. Strategy to
Prevent and Respond to Gender-based Violence Globally.
The Strategy calls on agencies to integrate prevention and
response into current programs; improve data collection and
analysis; and enhance existing government programs that
address the issue. It also establishes an interagency working
group led by State and USAID to coordinate U.S. efforts
worldwide. The Strategy is meant to build on existing U.S.
efforts to combat violence against women and to
complement related Administration policies such as the
US. NationalAction Plan on Peace and Security and State
Department and USAID policies on gender equality and
women's empowerment. Efforts to implement the Strategy
are ongoing and include the establishment of new
interagency GBV committees, training and capacity
building, and additional funding for GBV in priority
countries and emergency situations.
For more than two decades, Congress has demonstrated an
ongoing interest in addressing international violence against
women. It has passed legislation focusing on specific types
of violence, such as human trafficking and FGC, and has
adopted legislation addressing violence against women in
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