Citation

Garcia-Moreno C, Stöckl H. Int. J. Gynaecol. Obstet. 2009; 106(2): 144-147.

Affiliation

Department of Reproductive Health and Research, World Health Organization, Geneva, Switzerland.

Copyright

(Copyright © 2009, International Federation of Gynaecology and Obstetrics, Publisher Elsevier Publishing)

DOI

10.1016/j.ijgo.2009.03.053

PMID

19560770

Abstract

Violence against women is recognized as a global public health and human rights problem in need of urgent attention. It affects women's health, including their sexual and reproductive health, and their human rights. While progress has been made in the last 15 years, there is still a long way to go. International human rights law and public health provide tools to governments and non-governmental actors to ensure women a life free from violence and its consequences. Health policies and services need to address violence more systematically and health providers must take action. At a minimum, they should be informed and able to respond appropriately to violence, providing appropriate care and referral to other services. Equally, if not more important, is to provide support to interventions that prevent violence against women from happening in the first place.

Language: en