Published: 01:02 PM, 07 April 2026
Women face violence globally despite legal frameworks: UN
A conference in the UN Headquarters in New York held on 31 March 2026 highlighted the challenges being faced by women in securing their rights and dignity. Collected
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."
Some latest facts and figures from the United Nations show that women in various countries till today continue to face violence despite the fact that statutory laws and legal defence for women strongly exist.
Intimate partner violence refers to behavior by an intimate partner or ex-partner that causes physical, sexual or psychological harm, including physical aggression, sexual coercion, psychological torment and controlling behaviors. Sex crimes like gang rape and physical attacks on women in Bangladesh happened over and over again in Bangladesh during the ruling period of the immediate past interim government.
Non-partner sexual assault is sexual violence perpetrated by strangers, acquaintances, friends, colleagues, peers, teachers, neighbours and family members. Sexual harassment is an
unwelcome sexual advance, unwelcome request for sexual favours or other unwelcome conduct of a sexual nature which makes a person feel offended, humiliated or intimidated, where a reasonable person would anticipate that reaction under the circumstances.
Sexual violence is "any sexual act, attempt to obtain a sexual act, or other act directed against a person's sexuality using coercion, by any person regardless of their relationship to the victim, in any setting. It includes rape, defined as the physically forced or otherwise coerced penetration of the vulva or anus with a penis, another body part, or object."
Family violence is a broader term than domestic violence, as it refers not only to violence between intimate partners but also to violence between family members. This includes, for example, elder abuse and adolescent violence against parents.
Family violence includes violent or threatening behaviour, or any other form of behaviour that coerces or controls a family member or causes that family member to get scared.
