Violence Against Women: Recent Global Statistics Surface Harsh Reality

Recent statistics around violence against women are a mirror to the increasing gander-based crime rate worldwide. The UN passed a resolution 68/191 in 2013 asking countries to make strict laws against gender-based violence against women and girls. Yet, according to the UN's report in 2023, an average of five women or girls were killed every hour by their partners or family members in 2021. So, has change really happened? 

As women, support groups and human rights agencies, continue to fight against violence, let's take a look at what statistics reveal.

WHO's recent data on violence against women worldwide 

1. 1 in 3 women worldwide, which means 30 per cent of women, are subjected to physical and sexual violence by intimate partner or non-partner perpetrators. 

2. Over a quarter of women aged 15-49 have been subjected to violence by their intimate partners, starting from the age of 15. 

3. Intimate partner violence against women varies across countries. In the Western Pacific, 20 percent of women are subjected to such violence. 22 percent in high-income countries and Europe, 25 per cent in the WHO Regions of America, 33% in the WHO African region, 31 percent in the WHO Eastern Mediterranean Region and 33 percent in the WHO Southeast Asia region. 

4. Worldwide, 38 percent of women were murdered by their intimate partners. 

5. 6 percent of women reported to have been sexually assaulted by someone other than their partners. 

World Population Review's data on the most dangerous countries for female solo travellers

1. South Africa is the most dangerous country for female solo travellers. Only 25 percent of women feel safe while walking alone at night. Over 40 per ent of women were and will be raped in their lifetime. It is also the worst country for intentional homicide of women receiving an 'F' on the index.

2. Brazil is the second most dangerous country for female solo travellers. Only 28 percent of women feel safe walking alone at night. 36.9 percent of women have been physically and sexually abused by their intimate partners. It has the third-highest rate of intentional homicide of women

3. Russia has the second-highest rate of intentional homicide of women. 

4. Mexico is the fourth most dangerous country for female solo travellers. Only 33 percent of women in Mexico feel safe while walking alone at night. 16 percent of women experience non-partner violence. 

5. In the Dominion Republic, 33 percent of women feel safe while walking alone at night. It has the fifth-highest rate of intentional homicide.  

6. 47 percent of women feel safe while walking alone in Egypt. 

7. 45 percent of women in Morocco have faced intimate partner violence. 32 percent of women believe that violence against women is justified under certain circumstances. 

8. 37.2 percent of women in India face intimate partner violence. 45 percent of women justified intimate partner violence under certain circumstances. 

9. In Thailand, 44 percent of women face intimate partner violence. 61 percent of women agree that violence against women is justified under certain circumstances. 

NCRB data measuring crime against women in India

1. The crime against women in India has increased by 4 per cent in 2022 compared to 2021. 

2. 4,45,256 cases of crimes against women were reported in 2022. 20,000 more cases were registered in 2022 compared to 2021 with 4,28,278 cases. 

3. Close to 51 FIRs were filed every hour for crimes against women. 

4. The majority of crime cases against women were reported under 'cruelty by husband or his relatives', with 31.4% of cases. 19.2 per cent of cases were reported under  'Kidnapping and abduction of women', 18.7 per cent under  'Assault on women with intent to outrage' and 7.1 per cent were rape cases. 

5. Delhi is the most unsafe city with 14,158 cases of crimes against women. The rate of crimes per 1 lakh women is 186.9. The capital accounted for 31.2% of total crimes. 

6. Following Delhi were Mumbai with 6,176 cases and Bengaluru with 3,924 cases. 

7. A total of 31,516 rape cases were recorded in 2022. The most rape cases were from Rajasthan with 5,399 cases. 

8. Following Rajasthan was Uttar Pradesh with 3,690 rape cases. Next was Madhya Pradesh with 3,029 cases. 

9. Following these states are Maharashtra with 2,904 cases, and 1,787 cases in Haryana.

10. The report also revealed the cases registered under ‘Murder with rape/gangrape’ with Uttar Pradesh topping the list reporting 62 cases. It was followed by Madhya Pradesh at 41. 

11. In 2022, the highest number of suicide cases among homemakers was reported as compared to the last five years. 25,309 cases of suicide were reported. 

12. Major reasons for suicide were family disputes, mental health issues, dowry and domestic violence and love affair and marriage issues. 

NFHS-5 data on violence against women in India 

1. As per the report, 30% of women between the ages of 18 and 49 have faced physical violence since the age of 15. 6 per cent are survivors of sexual violence. 

2. Two in five women have experienced physical and sexual violence by their intimate partners. 

3. Only 14% of women who went through such violence have spoken about it. 

NCW’s report on complaints about crimes against women

1. The National Commission of Women received 28,811 complaints of crime against women. The highest were from Uttar Pradesh making 55 per cent of the complaints. 

2.  8,540 complaints were registered in the case of harassment. 

3. 6,274 complaints were of domestic violence

4. Dowry harassment complaints stood at 4,797, 2,349 molestation complaints, 1,618 police apathy against women complaints and rape and attempt to rape complaints stood at 1,537.

5. The data also revealed that 805 complaints of sexual harassment were registered, 605 of cybercrime, 472 of stalking and 409 of honour crimes

6. Uttar Pradesh recorded the highest number of complaints with 16,109 

7. Next was Delhi with 2,411 complaints and Maharashtra with 1,343 

8.  1,312 complaints were from Bihar followed by Madhya Pradesh 1,165, Haryana 1,115, Rajasthan 1,011, Tamil Nadu 608, West Bengal 569 and Karnataka 501.