World Health Organization

A randomized controlled trial of a counseling-empowerment intervention in antenatal care settings is being supported by WHO in two countries in Southern Africa. This intervention has been shown to be effective in other settings but will be tested in a low resource, high HIV prevalence setting for the first time. Hide

Two research papers, from the WHO Multi-country Study on Women's Health and Domestic Violence database, examine the risk and protective factors for intimate partner violence among young women (15-24 years old) and the association between intimate partner violence and induced abortion, respectively. Hide

WHO, in partnership with the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, and the Medical Research Council in South Africa, is finalizing global and regional estimates of prevalence of intimate partner violence and non-partner sexual violence, drawing upon up to date data from 90 countries. Estimates of the health impacts of violence against women are also being produced. Hide

WHO supports additional countries in the Western-Pacific Region, including Cambodia and Lao PDR, to conduct population-based surveys on violence against women, using the WHO multi-country study methodology. Hide

Two WHO systematic reviews of prevalence and risk factors of violence against sex workers and its links to HIV were finalized and submitted for publication. A recommendation to address violence against women was integrated into WHO Guidelines for Sex Workers released in December 2012. Further information available at:http://www.who.int/reproductivehealth/topics/violence/en/index.html; http://www.who.int/violence_injury_prevention/violence/en/ Hide

Under the “UNAIDS Action for Results: Outcomes Framework “ (2009-2011), UNFPA, UNDP, UN WOMEN, WHO, UNICEF, UNHCR and the MenEngage Alliance (Sonke Gender Justice and the Athena Network), also in close collaboration with the Interagency Working Group on Women, Girls, Gender Equality and HIV – supported countries to address the linkages between GBV and HIV/AIDS in National Strategic Plans; building effective partnerships to achieve this; and strengthening capacity to engage men and boys for promoting and addressing gender equality. Hide

In the area of sexual violence in emergencies, WHO published several documents including:1. Sexual violence in emergencies: Setting a research agenda (2012)2. Do’s and don’ts in community-based psychosocial programming in regard to sexual violence in conflict-affected settings (August 2012)3. Mental health and psychosocial support for conflict-related sexual violence: 10 myths (August 2012)4. Mental health and psychosocial support for conflict-related sexual violence: principles and interventions (August 2012) Hide

WHO clinical and policy guidelines on “Responding to intimate partner violence and sexual violence against women” and the programming tool on “Addressing violence against women in the context of HIV” have been finalized in 2012 for publishing in 2013. Hide

UNICEF and WHO, supported by UN Action funds, organized a technical meeting on Responding to the Psychosocial and Mental Health Needs of Sexual Violence Survivors in Conflict-Affected Settings from 28 to 30 November 2011. Hide

The international partnership "Together for Girls", to which WHO is a member, conducts national surveys to document sexual violence in a number of countries, promotes evidence-based programming to address sexual violence and has developed a strategy to increase global advocacy and public awareness. WHO contributes through technical guidance on survey development and implementation and capacity building as a follow-up of the surveys. Two research papers were published in 2011 from the WHO Multi-country Study on Women's Health and Domestic Violence database, one showing the increased risk of suicide attempts among women who experienced intimate partner violence, and the other showing the risk factors for intimate partner violence across 15 sites. The WHO multi-country study database continues to be analyzed, providing evidence of the risk factors and health effects of violence against women. Hide