World Health Organization

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

WHO held consultations among researchers from different parts of the world on interventions research for addressing violence against women in health care settings in order to identify common tools, methodologies and ethical considerations for undertaking such research. As outcomes of the meeting, an international network of researchers conducting interventions was launched and a handbook of interventions research will also be developed. Hide

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

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

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

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

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

WHO supported Mahidol University in Thailand to develop and implement a regional adaptation of a one-week training course based on the manual “Researching violence against women-A practical guide for researchers and activists”. The course addresses the conduct of quantitative and qualitative research and the use of research findings for advocacy and programme development. Hide