Gender-based violence against women is a human rights violation. Women are not exposed to violence by accident, or because of an in-born vulnerability. Instead, violence is the result of structural, deep-rooted discrimination perpetrated against women & girls because they are women & girls.

Through extensive research it has been confirmed that although any adult may experience incidents of domestic violence and abuse, women are considerably more likely to experience repeated and severe forms of abuse, including sexual violence. They are also more likely to have experienced sustained physical, psychological or emotional abuse, or violence which results in injury or death.

Women experience higher rates of repeated victimisation and are much more likely to be seriously hurt. Further to that, women are more likely to experience higher levels of fear and are more likely to be subjected to coercive and controlling behaviours.
Domestic abuse perpetrated by men against women is rooted in women’s unequal status in society and is part of the wider social problem of male violence against women and girls.

Their research identified that sexism and misogyny set the scene for male abusive partners’ coercive and controlling behaviours. Sexism and misogyny serve to excuse abusive behaviour by men in intimate relationships with women and put up barriers to female survivors being believed and supported to leave abusive www.womensaid.org.uk