PAHO: Violence against women remains a serious problem in the America

Washington, Nov 25 (Prensa Latina) One in three women aged 15 and over in the Americas has suffered physical or sexual violence at some point in their lives, according to estimates from the Pan American Health Organization (PAHO).

November 25, 2025
10:39

According to this UN agency, violence against women and adolescent girls continues to be a serious and persistent problem in the Americas region.

The new estimates on the issue were presented this month by the World Health Organization (WHO), on the occasion of the International Day for the Elimination of Violence against Women, commemorated on November 25.

The data (collected from 2000 to 2023) indicate that progress in reducing violence against women has been slow, despite increased awareness and the existence of national multisectoral policies and interventions from health services.

Intimate partner violence remains the most common form of abuse, and in the last two decades, prevalence rates of intimate partner violence have barely changed.

According to Britta Baer, an advisor at the Pan American Health Organization (PAHO), “the shame and stigma associated with sexual violence make it difficult to report, suggesting that the true figures are likely much higher.”

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