WHO speaks on lack of adequate assistance for female victims of violence

The World Health Organisation (WHO), has claimed that the European health sector is not reacting adequately to violence directed at women and girls in the region.

This claim was made in a report released on Thursday by the WHO. The report covers women and girls from the age of 15 who have been attacked physically or sexually by partners or former partners, along with victims of violence by perpetrators they did not have a relationship with.

“Violence against women and girls remains a pervasive public health emergency in the WHO European Region, affecting nearly one in three women over their lifetime…critical gaps in health sector responses,’’ the WHO says.

The WHO’s European region comprises 53 countries including countries in Central Asia.

The report’s foreword also says that ending violence against women and girls is not a duty confined to any one sector but demands a society and sector-wide response.

“And here, the health sector is uniquely placed to play a powerful, positive role,” it says.

The report also noted that only seven countries in the region provide safe abortion, only 17 emergency mornings after contraception and only 20 psychological supports for victims of violence.

“Mandatory reporting policies risk violating women’s autonomy and confidentiality, and can deter survivors from disclosing abuse to health-care providers, ultimately preventing access to timely care. Women may also fear harms to their children. Around 75 per cent of countries in the region have policies supporting training of health professionals on violence against women. This reflects growing recognition of the health sector’s role in identification, response and referral,” it says.

According to a WHO study published earlier on Wednesday, more than 30 per cent of all women globally have experienced violence, with the true extent much greater, as many decline to talk about it.

NAN