Violence against women and girls (VAWG)

Do women living in poverty face a greater risk of violence?

Violence is a global problem, but women and girls living in poverty are even more at risk. Often, survivors can’t get medical support because they can’t afford it or because they are too far away from a hospital.

Many can’t or don’t want to go to the police, sometimes due to fear of retribution or because of an acceptance of violence in their society. Girls may drop out of school and end up being forced to marry early. Many are left dealing with the emotional and physical impacts of the abuse on their own.

Gender-based violence at work

Abuses faced by women at work could include anything from sexual, physical and psychological harassment to bullying by managers and supervisors, body searches, beatings, forced pregnancy tests, dismissal when pregnant and violations of sexual and reproductive health and rights.

Appalling neglect of workplace safety standards, along with pressure to work long hours in toxic conditions, cause physical and psychological harm, injury and even death. Women workers courageously seek ways to come together to challenge work-based violence and exploitation. However, they are frequently met with threats and further violence by employers.

Gender-based violence in schools

The World Health Organisation estimates that 150 million girls are sexually assaulted every year, with many of these attacks occurring on the way to school or at school.5

ActionAid creates safe spaces like girls’ clubs within schools. Here, girls can discuss their needs and take concrete action to raise awareness of girls’ rights to education and to a life free from violence. We support women and girls with education and vocational skills so that they can earn a living and afford life’s necessities without being exploited.

The links between child marriage and VAWG

Girls who marry as children face a higher risk of domestic violence than women who marry freely as adults.7 Around the world, we have seen young survivors married off as children to their attackers or rapists. Child marriage robs them of their childhoods, education, health and freedom, and subjects girls to rape and abuse for the rest of their lives.8

Girls are often physically and emotionally unprepared for sexual activity, pregnancy and childbirth. Every year, one million girls under the age of 15 give birth.9 Complications during pregnancy and childbirth is the second highest cause of death for girls aged 15–19 worldwide.10

Reducing child marriage and the adolescent birth rate is necessary to not only improve the sexual and reproductive health and rights of women and girls, but also to reduce domestic violence and other forms of violence against women.

How women's groups are tackling VAWG

Grassroots women’s groups are the strongest advocates against all forms of violence. They are part of a growing, worldwide movement to stop women and girls being abused by men. These courageous women are standing up and helping other women, often at risk to themselves.

ActionAid supports local women's groups and networks to recognise the signs of violence and report it, help girls get back to school and raise awareness across the community. With ActionAid's support, women and teachers are setting up and expanding Girls' Clubs across the world, which provide safe spaces for girls to share their experiences, learn about their rights and build confidence to report abuse.

Our local staff on the ground help change attitudes by working alongside men and boys and traditional and religious leaders, and by working with women and girls themselves to change their acceptance of violence, discrimination and abuse.