Violence against women and girls is a widespread global problem that requires immediate response. In this article, we examine the necessity for a new global strategy to deal with this issue, particularly during crises like conflict.

Violence against women and girls is a prevalent and terrible human rights violation that affects millions of women and girls worldwide. The World Health Organization estimates that one in three women may experience physical or sexual abuse in their lives, and in some nations, that number might reach 70%. In addition to harming individual women and girls, this worldwide epidemic impedes efforts to advance gender equality and sustainable development.

A new report detailing the global rise in violence against women and girls as well as the present loopholes in international legislation to address this crisis was published on February 1, 2023 by a group of women's rights advocates from 128 countries. The Every Woman Treaty, a group of more than 2,000 women's rights activists from 128 nations, including Greece, released the "Safer Now" study in support of a new international agreement to solve this problem.

“Women and girls are dying. The activists defending them are hunted. The violence is rising. This begs a single question: Are the needs of women and girls being met under the current system? The indisputable answer is no,” says NajlaAyoubi, co-founder of Every Woman Treaty, in the report. Before being forced to flee, Najla, the first female judge in her region of Afghanistan, paid the price for upholding women's rights by witnessing the assassinations of her father and brother.

Ayoubi mentions that colleagues in countries throughout the world, including Iran, the United States, Ukraine, and Nigeria, have all reported an increase in violence against women. Yet, they are concerned about the lack of legislative frameworks to address the worldwide epidemic. Why isn't the world acting more quickly as issues like conflict, Covid-19, and climate change worsen violence against women and girls?

Eliminating violence against women and girls is a crucial part of the Sustainable Development Goals since the UN has acknowledged the necessity to address this issue (SDGs). Nonetheless, despite these initiatives, little has been accomplished, and violence against women and girls remains a major problem in many parts of the world.

Reasons for the current worldwide escalation

In "Safer Now," some of the factors contributing to the current global escalation are discussed, including conflicts like the conflict in Ukraine and the Taliban takeover of Afghanistan, intentional use of violence — particularly sexual violence — as a weapon of war, and women and girls being the main victims of widespread rape, sexual slavery, forced marriage, and torture.

Furthermore, the connection between climate change and gender-based violence is becoming more obvious as a result of the disruption of infrastructure, forced migration, food insecurity, mental stress, forced marriage as a form of exchange for goods, and economic instability brought on by climate change. The paper also discusses the growing issue of cyberviolence.

Although there are additional regional agreements, such as the Istanbul Convention in Europe, the Maputo Protocol in Africa, and the Belém do Pará Convention in Latin America, they are only applicable locally and do not provide legal protection for almost 75% of the world's women.

The Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination Against Women (CEDAW), frequently referred to as an international bill of rights for women, is an anti-discrimination human rights treaty intended to improve gender equality, including opportunities for girls to pursue education and employment. However, it does not adequately address violence against women and girls.

A new international policy that emphasises preventing violence against women and girls and safeguarding survivors is the need of the hour. A policy of this type should prioritise the following:

Prevention: Community mobilisation, awareness-raising, and education should all be a part of a holistic strategy to stop violence against women and girls. The elimination of harmful beliefs that support violence against women and girls and change in views regarding gender roles depend heavily on education. Campaigns to raise awareness should also target men and boys, who frequently commit such violence.

Help for survivors: Victims of violence need a number of services, such as access to counselling, safe housing, legal assistance, and health care. No matter their location, income level, or social standing, survivors must have access to these services under a global policy.

Accountability: It takes a commitment to accountability at all levels, from individuals to governments, to end violence against women and girls. In order to ensure that survivors receive justice and protection from additional suffering, perpetrators must be held accountable for their crimes, and laws and regulations must be put in place.

Research and data gathering: A worldwide policy must place a high priority on gathering precise and thorough statistics on the incidence and effects of violence against women and girls. Such information will aid in determining the underlying causes of this violence and serve as a roadmap for the creation of efficient preventative and response plans.

In conclusion, a new worldwide strategy is urgently required to combat the epidemic of violence against women and girls. This policy must place a high priority on prevention, care for survivors, accountability, data gathering, and research. A participatory and inclusive method must be used to create such a policy, one that incorporates the opinions and experiences of women and girls as well as those of other oppressed groups, including indigenous women, women with disabilities, and women residing in crisis zones. We can only hope to establish a world in which women and girls may live without violence and discrimination via a collective and persistent effort.