New Delhi, November 27: WHO Regional Director for South-East Asia Dr Poonam Khetrapal Singh highlighted that almost 1 in 3 women worldwide experiences physical and/or sexual violence in her lifetime. The WHO Regional Director for South-East Asia in a statement said that everyone has the right to a life free of violence and coercion. "However, WHO's most recent estimates, launched in March 2021, show that almost 1 in 3 women worldwide experiences physical and/or sexual violence in her lifetime. Most of this is in the form of intimate partner violence--in other words, women are at greatest risks from people they live with. Estimates suggest the South-East Asia Region ranks second highest, at around 33 per cent," the statement read.

Dr Poonam Khetrapal Singh while marking the start of a 16 Days of Activism for No Violence against Women, said, "The very high prevalence of violence against women and its significant health impacts place it among today's priority public health issues. In addition, it is a grievous violation of women's and girls' human rights." The World Health Organisation South-East Asia Region Office, has again this year, joined its partners to participate in the annual campaign. International Day for the Elimination of Violence Against Women 2023 Date, History and Significance: All You Need To Know About the Important UN Observance

During the 16 days, among other activities, WHO is partnering with UNFPA's regional office for Asia and the Pacific to conduct a webinar on recently released guidance on integrating VAWG into pre-and in-service training curricula for health professionals. November 25, the International Day for Elimination of Violence against Women, marks the beginning of the annual activist-led campaign, the 16 Days of Activism against Gender-Based Violence. The campaign lasts until 10 December, observed every year as Human Rights Day, serving as a befitting reminder that women's rights are human rights and we should do all we can to respect, protect and fulfil these rights.

"We know that violence against women is preventable. It is rooted in gender inequality and harmful gender norms that make violence against women acceptable. In particular, evidence shows that intimate partner violence and sexual violence result from factors occurring at individual, family, community and wider society levels that interact with each other to increase (risk factors) or reduce risk (protective factors) of such violence. Some are associated with being a perpetrator of violence, others are associated with experiencing violence and some are associated with both. Key risk factors linked to unequal gender norms include, for example, harmful masculine behaviours, including having multiple partners or attitudes that condone violence, or community norms that privilege or ascribe higher status to men and lower status to women," Khetrapal said. International Day for the Elimination of Sexual Violence in Conflict 2023 Date: Know History and Significance of the Global Event

She said, "The health sector is a critical part of a multisectoral strategy to prevent and respond to violence against women. This is because, first, women and girls experiencing violence are more likely to use health services. Also, health-care providers are often women's first point of professional contact. Third, all women are likely to seek health services at some point in their lives. Finally, health systems have a mandate to address VAWG through WHO's Global Plan of Action." The WHO South-East Asia region in the statement said that the health sector's role is wide-ranging.

"First, health policymakers and managers must strengthen the capacity of the health system and providers and ensure the continuity, adequate resourcing and appropriate delivery of services for survivors as part of essential health services. Health facilities should identify information about locally available services for survivors (e.g., hotlines, shelters, rape crisis centers, counselling), including opening hours and contact details, and establish referral links. Health providers, once aware of the issue and its implications, should offer medical treatment as well as first line support, which includes empathetic listening, asking about needs and connecting survivors to support," the statement quoted Dr Poonam Khetrapal Singh as saying.

"Second, the health sector has a role to play, with other sectors and stakeholders, in preventing violence against women and girls. Prevention is a continuum. Most strategies to prevent VAW from occurring in the first place are implemented outside the health sector - in communities, in schools, through mass media. But it is also important to prevent violence from recurring. Thus, women who have experienced or are experiencing violence may seek health care, even if they do not disclose the violence. Here is where health care providers have a key role. If health-care providers are alert to identifying such women early - in early stages of the violence or before it becomes very severe - and offer appropriate care and responses, then they could prevent or reduce recurrence of such violence," she said.

"Third, the health sector has a role to play in advocating for, developing and implementing evidence-informed policies and strategies for gender-based violence prevention and response. More and better data are needed, and these must be collected in ethical and safe ways and consistent with survivor-centred principles," she added. The WHO Regional Director for South-East Asia said that the WHO strives to bring attention to violence against women and girls as a public health and gender equality issue by building the evidence; developing guidelines; encouraging political will and accountability and strengthening country capacity of health systems and providers.

"WHO has developed evidence-informed resources, often working with UN and other partners, for women survivors of violence, for people who are concerned that someone they know is experiencing violence, and for those working across the healthcare system," she added.

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