Lifetime toll: 840 million women faced partner or sexual violence

A new WHO and UN report finds violence against women remains pervasive and largely unchanged over two decades—nearly 1 in 3 women globally (about 840 million) have experienced partner or sexual violence in their lifetime, 316 million (11%) in the past 12 months, and 263 million have experienced non-partner sexual violence since age 15—with only a 0.2% annual decline since 2000. The report warns the response is critically underfunded (just 0.2% of global development aid in 2022, with further declines in 2025) even as humanitarian crises, technological shifts and rising inequality increase risk and drive demand for health, legal and social services, particularly in fragile, conflict-affected and climate-vulnerable regions. It calls for scaled-up, evidence-based prevention, survivor-centred services and better data; several countries (including Cambodia, Ecuador, Liberia, Trinidad and Tobago and Uganda) have developed costed national plans and mobilized some domestic financing, a trend investors and policy-makers should watch for its implications on public budgets, social-service demand and ESG engagement.

Analysis

The WHO-led report finds violence against women remains pervasive and largely unchanged: an estimated 840 million women have experienced partner or sexual violence in their lifetime, 316 million (11%) in the past 12 months, and 263 million have experienced non-partner sexual violence since age 15. Progress is minimal—intimate partner violence has declined only 0.2% annually since 2000—and adolescent exposure is substantial with 12.5 million girls aged 15–19 (16%) experiencing partner violence in the past year.

The report highlights a critically underfunded response: only 0.2% of global development aid in 2022 targeted violence-prevention programmes and funding fell further in 2025, even as humanitarian crises, technological shifts and inequality raise risk. Some countries (Cambodia, Ecuador, Liberia, Trinidad and Tobago, Uganda) have developed costed national plans and mobilized limited domestic financing, and WHO/UN partners have updated the RESPECT prevention framework to guide policy and programming.

Market and fiscal implications include rising demand for sexual and reproductive health services, survivor-centred legal and social services, digital prevention tools and improved data systems, concentrated in fragile, conflict-affected and climate-vulnerable regions (Oceania excl. Australia/NZ reports 38% past‑year prevalence). Investors should expect heightened regulatory, budgetary and ESG scrutiny around public spending and service procurement as governments are urged to scale evidence-based prevention and enforcement.

Key Decisions for Investors

• Monitor changes in government budgets and international aid allocations for health, social services and data systems as potential drivers of procurement and revenue for service providers
• Assess portfolio ESG exposure and engagement opportunities with healthcare, digital health and NGO partners that provide survivor-centred services or prevention programmes
• Prioritize due diligence on investments with operational footprints in fragile, conflict-affected and climate-vulnerable regions where demand and reputational risk will concentrate, and consider position sizing or hedges accordingly
• Watch legislative and procurement developments in countries that have costed national plans (Cambodia, Ecuador, Liberia, Trinidad and Tobago, Uganda) for early commercial or public-private partnership opportunities