Violence against women

The PreventionWeb editors have collected a selection of articles and research findings that show how disasters worsen violence against women, and some ways we can take action to prevent this spiral of violence and inequality.

Extreme weather events linked to climate change are fuelling violence against women long after they occur, say researchers, prompting calls for more gender-focused climate action.

This study found that climate shocks, such as storms and floods, are linked to higher rates of intimate partner violence against women in affected countries. Researchers urge integrating violence prevention in climate resilience strategies.

UNFPA, in collaboration with the IIASA and the University of Vienna, conducted a comprehensive analysis and projections of climate change impact on IPV using demographic and health surveys and shared socioeconomic pathways.

Tens of millions of women and girls in sub-Saharan Africa will experience catastrophic levels of intimate partner violence because the world is failing to make progress on the climate crisis.

This paper examines how an earthquake in Papua New Guinea changed people’s attitudes about and the prevalence of intimate partner violence.

Rising temperatures have an impact on mental health and human behavior, and evidence has shown that warmer temperatures correlate with a 4% increase in interpersonal violence and a 14% rise in intergroup conflicts globally.

With drought and erratic rains depleting harvests, women farmers in Sri Lanka tell of beatings by husbands as incomes shrink.

The research findings identified different pathways through which women and children’s mental health was compromised in the context of structural violence and climatic risks.

We know extreme heat can pose health risks, especially for vulnerable groups. But increasingly, research is highlighting a relationship between hot temperatures and violence. We found violence increased with warmer weather and the reasons are complex.