Over 1 billion women faced childhood sexual violence in 2023: Study

Over a billion women worldwide aged 15 and above had experienced sexual violence during childhood, while around 608 million were exposed to intimate partner violence in 2023, according to estimates published in The Lancet journal.

Highest prevalence of both intimate partner and sexual violence were found to be concentrated in sub-Saharan Africa and South Asia. In these regions, the health impacts of violence are compounded by high rates of HIV and other chronic conditions, researchers noted.

In India, prevalence of intimate partner violence was estimated at 23 per cent among women aged 15 and above. Over 30 per cent of women and 13 per cent of men aged 15 and above are estimated to have experienced sexual violence as a child.

The researchers analysed data from the Global Burden of Disease (GBD) Study 2023, the “largest, most comprehensive effort to quantify health loss across places and over time”. The US’ University of Washington coordinates the GBD study.

“Globally, in 2023, we estimated that 608 million females aged 15 years and older had ever been exposed to IPV (intimate partner violence), and 1·01 billion individuals aged 15 years and older had experienced sexual violence during childhood,” the authors wrote.

Anxiety and major depressive disorders were among the eight leading causes of disability developed as a result of intimate partner violence, while experiencing sexual violence as a child was associated with 14 health outcomes, including mental health and substance use disorders and chronic illnesses.

Self-harm and schizophrenia were found to be the leading causes of disability developed due to sexual violence during childhood.

Addressing violence against women and children is not only a matter of human rights but also a crucial public health priority that can save millions of lives, improve mental health outcomes, and build resilient communities, the researchers said.

The findings underscore an urgent need for preventive measures such as strengthening legal frameworks, promoting gender equality, and expanding support services for survivors to reduce health toll caused due to violence, they said.

The World Health Organization, in a global report published in November, estimated that over a fifth of females in India aged 15-49 were subjected to intimate partner violence in 2023, while nearly 30 per cent have been affected during their lifetime.

Worldwide, nearly one in three, or 840 million, have suffered partner or sexual violence during their lifetime—a figure that has barely changed since 2000, it said.