Addressing the Gendered Nature of Violence and its Health Impacts

6 December 2023

The Australian Women’s Health Alliance is proud to announce the launch of a new Policy Brief Addressing the gendered nature of violence and its health impacts.

This brief positions the prevention of gender-based violence as essential for achieving health equity and a key preventive health strategy.

Coinciding with the UN’s 16 Days of Activism against Gender-Based Violence a campaign that runs from 25 November, the International Day for the Elimination of Violence against Women, until 10 December, Human Rights Day, this brief highlights the links between gender-based violence and women’s health outcomes.

Build a comprehensive understanding of the compounding impacts of violence and other determinants of health using a gender equity lens.

Visit the Women’s Health Hub to view this important new addition to our Policy Brief series.

Key messages

The relationships between gender-based violence, women’s health and prevention with an intersectional gender and health equity lens are not always well understood or explained.

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Key messages

Women disproportionately bear the health impacts of all forms of violence, are more likely to acquire disabilities, develop long-term health conditions, and are at risk of experiencing homelessness as a result of gendered violence.

Key messages

Women who experience intersectional disadvantage are subject to higher rates of violence, have poorer experiences in healthcare and have poorer health outcomes. Applying an intersectional gender lens to violence is essential to understanding the diversity of lived experience, the intersecting forms of oppression, discrimination, power and privilege, and addressing structural inequalities through targeted prevention action.

Key messages

Gendered violence also impacts access to health care and occurs within health settings. It is vital to build a health system that does not perpetrate, condone or enable violence.

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Key messages

Violence against women is a significant public health problem, as well as a fundamental violation of women’s and girl’s human rights. Responding to and preventing gender-based violence are therefore key preventive health measures.

Key messages

Health equity cannot be achieved without responding to and preventing gender-based violence.

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Key messages

Implementation of government health strategies must integrate preventive health with frameworks and actions that address the gendered drivers and intersectional nature of violence.

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Addressing the Gendered Nature of Violence and its Health Impacts

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