title: Addressing violence against women: a call to action.
abstract: Violence against women and girls is prevalent worldwide but historically has been overlooked and condoned. Growing international recognition of these violations creates opportunities for elimination, although solutions will not be quick or easy. Governments need to address the political, social, and economic structures that subordinate women, and implement national plans and make budget commitments to invest in actions by multiple sectors to prevent and respond to abuse. Emphasis on prevention is crucial. Community and group interventions involving women and men can shift discriminatory social norms to reduce the risk of violence. Education and empowerment of women are fundamental. Health workers should be trained to identify and support survivors and strategies to address violence should be integrated into services for child health, maternal, sexual, and reproductive health, mental health, HIV, and alcohol or substance abuse. Research to learn how to respond to violence must be strengthened. The elimination of violence against women and girls is central to equitable and sustainable social and economic development and must be prioritised in the agenda for development after 2015.
authors.affiliation: Department of Reproductive Health and Research, WHO, Geneva, Switzerland. Electronic address: garciamorenoc@who.int.
authors.forename: Claudia
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: García-Moreno
authors.affiliation: London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine, London, UK.
authors.forename: Cathy
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Zimmerman
authors.affiliation: London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine, London, UK.
authors.forename: Alison
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Morris-Gehring
authors.affiliation: London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine, London, UK.
authors.forename: Lori
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Heise
authors.affiliation: Department of Reproductive Health and Research, WHO, Geneva, Switzerland.
authors.forename: Avni
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Amin
authors.affiliation: Medical Research Council, Cape Town, South Africa.
authors.forename: Naeemah
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Abrahams
authors.affiliation: MenEngage, Washington, DC, USA.
authors.forename: Oswaldo
authors.initials: O
authors.lastname: Montoya
authors.affiliation: Centre for Enquiry into Health and Allied Themes, Mumbai, India.
authors.forename: Padma
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Bhate-Deosthali
authors.affiliation: National AIDS Control Council, Nairobi, Kenya.
authors.forename: Nduku
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Kilonzo
authors.affiliation: London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine, London, UK.
authors.forename: Charlotte
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Watts
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D002648:Child; D002669:Child Welfare; D005260:Female; D006076:Government; D006304:Health Status; D006801:Humans; D007857:Leadership; D012307:Risk Factors; D012922:Social Change; D014754:Violence / Q000517:prevention & control*; D016387:Women's Health