Background on Violence Against Women, February 2010

Background on Violence Against Women, February 2010

• Gender-based violence and trafficking against women and girls are widespread worldwide, occurring in families, communities, and armed conflict zones.
• The United Nations definition of violence against women covers physical, sexual, and psychological harm, including coercion and deprivation of liberty.

Magnitude and forms

• Global surveys report extremely high prevalence: between 10% and 69% of women in multiple studies have experienced physical assault by an intimate partner.
• Common forms include domestic violence, dowry-related violence, child marriage, female genital mutilation, honor killings, sexual harassment, trafficking, forced prostitution, and wartime sexual violence.
• Trafficking is a major global problem—estimates vary from hundreds of thousands to millions trafficked across borders annually, with women and girls disproportionately affected and many more trafficked within countries.

Root causes and social effects

• Violence is rooted in social norms that devalue and objectify women, denying rights such as inheritance, education, and autonomy.
• Practices such as sex‑selective abortion, infanticide, child marriage, and dowry exchanges reflect systemic discrimination and economic pressures.
• Consequences include severe physical and psychological trauma, increased risk of HIV and other health problems, lifelong stigma and ostracism for survivors, lost economic productivity, family and community breakdown, and high social and health care costs.

Violence in conflict settings

• Wartime sexual violence is used as a tactic of terror; documented crises (e.g., eastern DRC) show massive numbers of assaults, widespread injuries, HIV transmission, forced pregnancy, and long-term community devastation.

Church teaching and response

• Catholic teaching affirms equal dignity of women and calls for vigorous condemnation of sexual violence, legal protections, and campaigns to promote women’s dignity and participation.
• The Church advocates for education, comprehensive health care, and equitable access to resources so women can play key roles in family and societal development.

Policy and legislative context

• The International Violence Against Women Act (IVAWA) previously introduced would focus on survivor assistance, perpetrator accountability, and prevention; it had not been reintroduced at the time.
• Related measures include calls to ratify CEDAW and conflict‑related bills (e.g., Conflict Minerals Acts) that target root causes of violence in places like eastern Congo and fund recovery for affected women and communities.
• The USCCB signals intent to influence such legislation to align with Catholic social teaching on life and dignity.

background-on-violence-against-women-2010-09.pdf