Violence against women prevalence estimates, 2023: WHO Eastern Mediterranean Region

Overview

This regional overview presents the 2023 prevalence estimates of violence against women in the WHO Eastern Mediterranean Region, comparing regional findings with global estimates. It summarizes the prevalence of physical and/or sexual intimate partner violence and non-partner sexual violence among women, including lifetime and past-12-month prevalence by age group. The document also presents estimates of the combined burden of these forms of violence, the estimated numbers of women affected across the region, and country- and area-level estimates of intimate partner violence, illustrating variation in prevalence across countries and areas of the WHO Eastern Mediterranean Region.

The overview highlights that violence against women remains a major public health crisis with significant social and economic consequences and emphasizes the need for governments to reinforce commitments to eliminate all forms of violence against women and girls in line with Sustainable Development Goal 5, target 5.2. It identifies priority actions including strengthening gender-equitable laws and policies, improving data collection and measurement, addressing discriminatory social norms, expanding evidence-based prevention programmes, enhancing survivor-centred multisectoral services, and increasing sustainable financing to support prevention and response efforts.