Girls and School-based Violence

Violence against women and girls (VAWG) is perhaps the most widespread violation of human rights worldwide, globally affecting around one in three women in her lifetime. Current available data shows that exposure to violence is high among 15-19 year-olds indicating that the experience of violence often starts early in women s relationships. In its efforts towards dismantling substantial barriers to VAWG in the Asia-Pacific Region, UN Women Regional Office for Asia and the Pacific has supported governments to deepen their commitments to ending VAWG and also to create favourable legal, regulatory, and social environment for ending VAWG at the regional, national, and community levels. Ending VAWG will make a crucial contribution to progress across many of the goals and targets under the new Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). This presentation aims to present data and evidence about VAWG in Asia-Pacific and to share latest evidence and thinking about solutions to end VAWG. It identifies the linkages between SDGs and VAWG, including education, health and employment and introduces new resources related to preventing violence in schools, such as Connect with Respect tool and School-Related Gender Based Violence Guidelines to be released soon. It introduces the report on Women and Girls Safety and Mobility in Public Spaces, supported by KWDI.