Gender-based violence is a serious human rights and public health issue affecting women and girls around the world, across socioeconomic classes and cultures.

It affects all aspects of women's and girls' physical, emotional, psychological and social wellbeing, and can occur in various forms throughout a girls' or woman's life.

There are many forms of gender-based violence. In all cases however it involves violations of women's and girls' human rights. Some forms include:

• Rape
• Sexual assault
• Prostitution
• Forced marriage
• Domestic violence
• Trafficking of women and girls
• Female Genital Mutilation (FGM)
• Harassment

During armed conflict women and girls are particularly vulnerable to gender-based violence. Rape is used by fighting forces as a strategy to terrorise and humiliate communities, force women and their families to flee, disrupt social continuity, and is used as a method of ethnic cleansing and genocide.

In addition to rape, women and girls are abducted into sexual slavery, forced into marriage and pregnancy, and forced to exchange sex for survival. When women are forced to flee their homes, they continue to be at risk of rape and may face increased levels of domestic violence.

Worldwide, over 40% of reported sexual assaults are perpetrated against girls aged 15 years of younger while women and girls subjected to violence are also at higher risk of contracting HIV.

The International Rescue Committee works to provide a comprehensive approach to combatting violence against women at three levels:

• Primary protection: preventive measures to ensure rights are recognised and protected.
• Secondary protection: systems and strategies to monitor and respond when rights are breached.
• Tertiary protection: direct services to meet the needs of survivors.

We are also a leading advocate on issues of gender-based violence, working to ensure ongoing attention and funding to its prevention and effective response.

January 2008