Stop Violence Against Women

Women and girls suffer disproportionately from violence - both in peace and in war, at the hands of the state, the community and the family. A life free from violence is a basic human right, yet violence is a daily reality for women in societies throughout the world.

Violence against women takes many forms and happens in all spheres of society. Women's lives and bodies continue to be the unacknowledged casualties of conflict, while violence in the family wrecks the lives of women in every country in the world.

Women who work to protect and promote their own rights, and to defend the rights of others, face violence and intimidation for the work they do.

Amnesty International campaigns for the protection of women's rights and for women's equality with men. In many societies, laws which provide for equality do now exist, yet gaps in implementation mean that they have yet to make a difference to women's lives.

Governments must prevent, investigate and punish violence against women. They must also take steps to empower women, who must be able to participate in society and in decisions which affect their lives.

Our goal is to make women's rights a reality for all women, everywhere.