Stats and Global Relation

Did you know, just in the United States alone:

  • Every 98 seconds, an American is sexually assaulted
    • Every 8 minutes that victim is a child (12-17 being the most common age range)
    • 9 out of 10 victims are female
  • Only 6 out of every 1,000 rapists will end up in prison
  • Most sexual assaults took place at or near the victims home (55%)

  • ~70% of rape or sexual assault victims experience moderate to severe distress
  • People who have been sexually assaulted are 10x more likely to use major drugs (other than marijuana and cocaine)

 

But the United States is far from the only nation with a sexual violence problem

  • According to UN Women and the World Health Organization, 35 per cent of women worldwide have experienced either physical and/or sexual intimate partner violence or sexual violence by a non-partner at some point in their lives.

  • In response, UN Women has taken a number of initiatives in various countries globally.
    • In Ethiopia and Haiti, UN Women is working to create a number of safe houses that offer health care, legal advice, and job-training to survivors.
    • In Mexico, UN Women is working to support the National Commission for the Development of Indigenous Peoples, who in turn provides advocacy, awareness-raising, community counselling and legal advice to women survivors.

 

  • According to the World Health Organization…
    • “almost one third (30%) of women who have been in a relationship report that they have experienced some form of physical and/or sexual violence by their intimate partner in their lifetime.”
    • “violence can negatively affect women’s physical, mental, sexual and reproductive health, and may increase vulnerability to HIV.”
    • Violence against women can have very severe health consequences, including injuries, unintended pregnancies, induced abortions, gynecological problems, STIs, and increased likelihoods of miscarriages, premature births, and stillbirths. Other effects include fibromyalgia, gastrointestinal disorders, and decreased mobility levels. Violence against women can also lead to many mental health issues, including but not limited to: depression, PTSD, anxiety, sleeping disorders, eating disorders, alcoholism and drug addiction, and increased rates of suicide attempts.

 

  •  The United Nations have also widely adopted the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination Against Women (CEDAW), which aims to, in part, eradicate gendered violence around the world. However, the United States has yet to ratify the Convention.