Global response to gender-based violence falling ‘dramatically short’, say women leaders
Governments must take urgent action to end gender-based violence by “embedding evidence-based prevention across national systems” and committing “sustained, long-term financing” to scale what works.
This is the message of an open letter from All In: Global Leaders for Ending Gender-Based Violence, published to coincide with the Women Deliver conference which took place this week in Melbourne.
The letter highlights that one in three women worldwide – more than 840 million – will experience physical or sexual violence in their lifetime and that this has remained largely unchanged for over a decade.
It warns that gender-based violence is being intensified by converging global pressures such as conflict and humanitarian crises, economic instability, a growing global backlash against gender equality, and rapidly evolving technologies which are enabling new forms of harm.
“Without deliberate action, these forces will not only sustain violence, they will accelerate it,” it says.
The letter was signed by Maria Fernando Espinosa, former foreign minister of Ecuador and Tarana Burke, founder of the Me Too movement, who are co-chairs of All In: Global Leaders for Ending Gender-Based Violence.
It was written on behalf of nine other leaders, including Geeta Rao Gupta, former US ambassador-at-large for global women’s issues; Graca Machel, former minister of education and culture of Mozambique and first lady of South Africa; Harriet Harman, UK special envoy for women and girls; and Sima Samar, former minister for women’s affairs in Afghanistan.
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Inconsistent political will, fragmented systems, weak accountability
The letter points to a “robust and growing body of evidence on what works to prevent gender-based violence, from shifting harmful social norms to strengthening institutions and investing in community-led approaches” and emphasises that ending violence against women and girls “is possible”.
“And yet, the global response continues to fall dramatically short”. The letter says that political commitment to the prevention of gender-based violence is inconsistent, that accountability is weak, that efforts are fragmented, and that survivors are too often left out of decision-making processes.
A “step change from isolated interventions to coordinated, system-wide action” is required, it says.
It adds that preventing gender-based violence “is not only a moral imperative, but also foundational to addressing the crises of our time and achieving progress across social, economic, security and environmental goals”.
The letter calls on governments to embed evidence-based prevention across education, health, justice, workplaces, digital policy and other relevant areas, and for leaders across sectors to “move from commitment to sustained action and accountability and to match word with policies and funding”.
“At Women Deliver, where global leaders gather to shape the future of gender equality, we face a defining test: whether we will match decades of evidence and advocacy with the scale of action required to forge a future free of gender-based violence.”
“There is no neutral position. We either contribute to systems that enable violence, or we help build those that prevent it. The question is whether we will choose to do what it takes.”
About Mia Hunt
Mia has been editor of globalgovernmentforum.com since 2019. She has 15 years’ experience as a journalist and editor and specialises in writing for civil and public servants worldwide, including covering sustainability policy and related issues. She has led the Global Government Women’s Network since it launched in 2023. Previously, she covered commercial property having been market reports and supplements editor at Property Week and deputy editor at Retail Destination. She graduated from Kingston University London with a first-class honours degree in journalism and was part of the team that produced The River newspaper, which won Publication of the Year at the Guardian Student Media Awards in 2010.
