12. Understanding Costs of Violence Against Women and the Need for Contextualisation

Violence against women and girls undermines women's fundamental human rights affecting one in three women in the world at all stages of their lives. Women are exposed to physical, sexual, psychological and economic violence irrespective of their age, education or income groups. Violence against women has immediate and long-term health consequences for women and girls. In extreme cases, it can be lethal, resulting in death. Violence also severely impacts women's economic participation and care work. The socio-economic impacts of violence against women and girls at the individual/household and the community levels contribute to the nation's social and economic costs. The social and economic costs of violence against women is significant. Globally, progress on the elimination of violence against women and girls has been slow. Women's equality and empowerment (SDG 5) is critical for all dimensions of sustainable development, and thus the attainment of SDG 5 is central to the achievement of all the SDGs. Violence against women and girls is an outcome of complex dynamics of multiple and intersecting forms of structural injustices, including gender inequality. For addressing violence against women and girls, it is crucial to focus on prevention. Formulation of the preventive strategy to address violence against women and girls calls for systemic changes, which cannot be achieved at the individual level alone. Preventive strategies to eliminate violence against women and girls must assess the individual, community, organisational and societal structures, laws and policies, social norms and practices that perpetuate harmful constructions of masculinities, gender inequality, and other social injustices which intersect with gender inequality. For formulating effective strategies, it is also imperative to identify and address the context-specific drivers of violence against women and girls.