Public health implications of global violence on health in women and youth

The United Nations defines violence against women as any act of gender-based violence that results in, or is likely to result in, physical, sexual or mental harm or suffering to women, including threats of such acts, coercion or arbitrary deprivation of liberty, whether occurring in public or in private life. Lifetime prevalence of physical and sexual violence across the world ranges from 15% to 71%.

Globally, poverty, gender inequality, marginalization, and under resourced inequitable health systems have been identified as social determinants of health. These social determinants cause millions of children and adults to die each year and cause poor physical and mental health outcomes for many millions more. We will examine how these social determinants in the context of continued high levels of gender based violence are associated with morbidity and mortality among women and youth.

We will provide case studies from different countries to contextualize how violence against women and trauma impact physical and mental illness, including HIV disease progression, depression, post traumatic stress, and quality of life. We will explore how harmful gender norms, economic inequity, depression, and stress intersect and impact the health of women and youth in these countries.

Tailored interventions are needed to address the cultural and societal context of these major public health issues. We will present strategies to include women and youth as informants and leaders to challenge these health inequities