Gender-based violence and its impact on public health
Why addressing gender-based violence is a public health priority, and the health consequences BADEF teams see in the communities they serve.
At BADEF, we believe that addressing gender-based violence (GBV) improves the well-being of individuals and their societies, and directly affects health outcomes.
Our work with different partners in the public sector, the private sector and non-profit organizations positions us to address the issue with many people who experience impact both directly and indirectly.
1 in 3 women worldwide has experienced gender-based violence in their lifetime.
This is a figure that can be significantly higher depending on the city, country, or region. In Somalia, a sizable proportion of women who seek care at government hospitals, pharmacies, and private clinics have had their lives impacted in some way. One can only imagine the untold ways gender-based violence has affected the very underprivileged women in, for example, IDP camps, homeless on the street and in very remote areas without access to medical centres.
Every day, the team members at BADEF witness the negative consequences of GBV in the faces of those we serve, whether it is the woman assaulted by her husband, a woman who has been raped or the girl suffering from the effects of female genital mutilation.
Gender-based violence has a profound impact on health.
GBV can contribute to:
- Gynaecological disorders, obstetric complications and HIV/AIDS prevalence
- Unintended pregnancies
- Increased rates of maternal injury and death
- Other detrimental physical and emotional outcomes
- Serious mental health problems and behavioural deviations, increasing the risk of subsequent victimization
- Acute and chronic physical injuries and disabilities
BADEF continuously works to ensure that they also benefit from best practices in GBV prevention, response, and referral protocols.
