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A woman attends a demonstration on the occasion of International Day for the Elimination of Violence against Women, her face painted with a red hand print
Image: Luca Bruno/AP Photo/picture alliance Image: Luca Bruno/AP Photo/picture alliance

Violence against women

Violence against women and girls includes acts that cause physical, sexual or emotional harm or suffering as well as the threat of harm.

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All Content on this topic

A trainee midwife examines a woman at a hospital in Bamiyan, Afghanistan as part of a program spearheaded by the UN

Taliban ban UN's Afghan women staff from working

Nearly 400 Afghan women who are UN employees have now been banned from working by the Taliban.
Human RightsApril 5, 2023
A Afghan woman student fills out a paper in a classroom.

Afghanistan: Prominent girls' education advocate arrested

Taliban authorities arrested Matiullah Wesa, the founder of an Afghan girl' education project, in Kabul, the UN said.
ConflictsMarch 28, 2023
A young rape survivor seen from the back

In Ethiopia's Tigray conflict, rape is used as a weapon

With a cease-fire agreed, more and more accounts of rape and sexual violence are emerging in northern Ethiopia.
ConflictsMarch 24, 202302:44 min
Marta Perez und Matias Perez, the mother and brother of Lucia Perez, take part in a demonstration for women's rights in her name

Argentina: Two men jailed in landmark teenage murder case

Lucia Perez's rape and murder in 2016 triggered anger and led to the first-ever national women's strike in Argentina.
CrimeMarch 24, 2023
A woman stands in a metal sheet room that was damaged by shelling, in Humera, Ethiopia

In Ethiopia's Tigray war, rape is used as a weapon

Sexual attacks on women and girls have continued since last year's Tigray peace deal was signed. DW takes a closer look.
ConflictsMarch 17, 2023
A police officer and a group of women following a shootout in a bar in Soweto in July 2022

South Africa: Spike in gun crime angers citizens

South Africa's police service is being accused of doing little to tackle the country's rampant gun violence.
CrimeMarch 7, 2023
Harvey Weinstein in court

Harvey Weinstein sentenced to 16 years in LA rape case

The one-time movie mogul has been handed another 16 years on top of his previous 23-year sentence.
Law and JusticeFebruary 23, 2023
Karan Saluja is a middle aged Indian man. He is facing the camera and wearing a two-tone navy blue puffer jacket. He has glasses on a string around his neck.

Indian migrant to US left undocumented after abuse

Karan Saluja traveled to the US for work, where he found himself in an abusive relationship.
MigrationFebruary 23, 202302:08 min
Iraqi women's rights activists lift a placard reading 'Stop killing women'

YouTube star's murder: How to end domestic violence in Iraq?

The murder of yet another young Iraqi woman by family members has revived debate about a stalled domestic violence law.
PoliticsFebruary 7, 2023
Protesters hold placards against police crimes outside Southwark Crown Court in London on February 6, 2023 during the two-day sentencing of serial rapist police officer David Carrick.

London court jails ex-police officer for serial rape

David Carrick, considered one of the UK's most prolific sex offenders, was sentenced for a "monstrous" string of crimes.
CrimeFebruary 7, 2023
A young woman with long brown hair, wearing a black bandana as a mask, holds up her right hand in a clenched fist

Outcry in Poland over abortion law

An underage rape victim in Poland was twice denied an abortion, sparking controversy over the country's abortion law.
SocietyFebruary 5, 2023
Nick Kyrgios on crutches outside court

Nick Kyrgios admits to assulting ex-girlfriend

A magistrate dismissed the charge against the 2022 Wimbledon finalist calling the assault a "single act of stupidity."
CrimeFebruary 3, 2023
President Julius Maada Bio

Sierra Leone: Equality law introduces job quota for women

The newly passed equality act aims to tackle the massive imbalance between men and women in positions of power.
Human RightsJanuary 20, 2023
Press conference announcing the outcome of the case

London police officer pleads guilty to rape and abuse

UK Prime Minister Rishi Sunak called for London's police forces to root out officer misconduct and restore public trust.
CrimeJanuary 16, 2023
Greg Berhalter looking to his left during the US' Round of 16 match against the Netherlands

US Soccer: Coach Berhalter hopes to stay amid investigation

US national team coach Gregg Berhalter is embroiled in a public feud with the family of Dortmund's Giovanni Reyna.
SoccerJanuary 6, 2023
Senegal Parlament in Dakar

Senegal court sentences MPs to jail for hitting colleague

The two men have denied the charges and plan to appeal the ruling.
PoliticsJanuary 2, 2023
Weinstein in New York, 2020.

Harvey Weinstein found guilty of rape in Los Angeles

The ex-movie mogul faced four allegations of rape and sexual misconduct in California after his conviction in New York.
Law and JusticeDecember 20, 2022
Women protesters hold sign which reads "Tomorrow is too late, stand up for women today"

Nirbhaya rape 10 years on: Any changes for women in India?

Women's groups and activists say incidents of rape have become more rampant, "more aggressive" and "more brutalized."
PoliticsDecember 16, 2022
woman holding a placard during a protest

Spain: Protesters demand end of violence against women

Thousands of protesters marched in Madrid and Barcelona carrying placards that read ''no is no, anything else is rape."
PoliticsNovember 26, 2022
Kris Wu

China jails Chinese-Canadian star Kris Wu for rape

A court found the pop star guilty of sexually assaulting three women.
MusicNovember 25, 2022
Deutschland Oladoyin Olatunbosun von Kampagne "Advokat"

Opinion: Let women who experience violence talk about it

Oladoyin Olatunbosun
Survivors of gendered violence should be encouraged to speak about their experiences, writes DW's Oladoyin Olatunbosun.
Human RightsNovember 25, 2022
Many sexual assaults within the home go unreported. In Germay, victims now have options to provide evidence anonymously.

Germany: Helping victims of domestic rape

Many sexual assaults within the home go unreported. In Germay, victims now have options to provide evidence anonymously.
SocietyNovember 25, 202202:36 min

Cameroon: A network of 'aunts' helps rape survivors

A civil society network in Cameroon is helping survivors of sexual violence.
SocietyNovember 25, 202202:47 min
A mural outside a women's refuge in Mexico City shows women supporting each other, in bright colors

Street patrols in Mexico fight violence against women

Whether from their partners or sexual harassment on public transport, many women in Mexico experience gendered violence.
SocietyNovember 25, 202202:19 min
A woman holds up a poster and shouts with her hand raised at a protest in Delhi in 2022

India is undercounting as the UN seeks femicide stats

Here's why India is likely to come up short in the UN's global femicide tracking.
Human RightsNovember 25, 2022
A doctor holds a patient's hand

Germany: Project helps rape survivors preserve evidence

Survivors of rape often do not report the crime to the police. A project in Germany helps them to preserve evidence.
HealthNovember 25, 2022
A silhouette of a man hitting a woman

Germany records dip in violence between partners

The fall in 2021 compares with the previous year when the pandemic emerged and lockdown rules were at their strictest.
CrimeNovember 24, 2022
A woman holds up a fist during feminist protests in Paris

UN report: 5 women killed every hour by family member

More than half of the women and girls murdered last year were killed by a partner of a close relative, UN data showed.
Human RightsNovember 23, 2022
People take part in a protest demanding justice after the death of Ariadna Fernanda Lopez

Mexico: Prosecutor accused of covering up woman's murder

The mayor of Mexico City accused Morelos state authorities of botching the investigation
Law and JusticeNovember 8, 2022
People place placards and clothes of their loved ones, victims of femicide, on the ground

The 77 Percent — Can marital rape be stopped?

Gambian human rights advocates want marital rape to be criminalized. But some men say rape can't happen in a marriage.
SocietyNovember 2, 202219:59 min
Bruce Lehrmann arrives at court on October 14, 2022 in Canberra, Australia.

Australia: Parliament rape case abruptly ends in mistrial

The jury has been discharged over "misconduct" in the trial of a a former government advisor accused of rape.
CrimeOctober 27, 2022
A young Black woman speaks into a yellow microphone

Fighting domestic violence with music in rural Ghana

While some men oppose her intervention, radio presenter Patience Awuni has said she won't back down.
SocietyOctober 20, 202202:16 min
Investigative journalist Jutta Rabe looks over evidence in Madeleine McCann disappearance case

McCann abduction suspect charged with 3 other sex offenses

The German man is the prime suspect in the disappearance of British toddler Madeleine McCann in 2007.
CrimeOctober 12, 2022
Handwritten notes are displayed near the entrance to a female lavatory at Sindang Station in Seoul on September 19, 2022

Seoul subway killing sparks calls for new laws

Women complain that weak laws put them at risk from assailants who do not consider women their equals.
SocietyOctober 6, 2022
Iran | Mahsa Amini Zeitungsartikel

US sanctions Iran's morality police

The US Treasury Department has issued the sanctions amid growing protests over a woman's death in police custody.
Human RightsSeptember 22, 2022
Demonstrators hold placards and shout slogans during a 2014 protest against the killings of two teenage girls in New Delhi

India: Will sexual violence against Dalits ever end?

Sexual violence disproportionally experienced by India's vulnerable lower-caste Dalit women has gone from bad to worse.
SocietySeptember 19, 2022
A woman sitting in the darkness of her house

How African women suffer silently through abuse

One in two African women experiences violence in her lifetime. But abusers silence their victims. How can this change?
SocietyAugust 26, 2022
George Foreman, former heavyweight world champion, poses after a news conference

George Foreman sued by women accusing him of sexual abuse

The alleged sexual assaults occurred in the 1970s, around the time Foreman became the world heavyweight boxing champion.
CrimeAugust 26, 2022
Harvey Weinstein

New York's highest court to hear Weinstein appeal

Lawyers for Harvey Weinstein say the disgraced Hollywood film producer is "relieved' by the development.
CrimeAugust 25, 2022
Entwicklungsministerin Schulze in Bolivien

Bolivia's women activists get support from Germany

Violence against women is very prevalent in Bolivia. Many victims become activists and Germany has vowed support.
Human RightsAugust 24, 2022
Bilkis Bano, one of the survivors of the Gujarat riot victims, gestures during a press conference in New Delhi, India, Monday, May 8, 2017.

India: Rape victim aghast at attackers' release

The survivor of a 2002 gang rape during communal violence has said she is "bereft of words" at her attackers' release.
PoliticsAugust 18, 2022
A man holding a machete reacts next to a fire after community members burned shacks and belongings

Stubborn xenophobia in South African society

There are fears of a new wave of deadly xenophobia in South Africa.
PoliticsAugust 18, 2022
Silhouettes of two of four men hanged in Isfahan

Execution rate doubled in Iran: Amnesty

Iran's sharp rise in executions has also included women defending themselves against domestic violence.
Law and JusticeAugust 12, 2022
external

Pandemic worsens gender equality

Women in Uganda have been hit harder by the coronavirus pandemic than men.
ScienceAugust 12, 202204:37 min
A man runs past a fire after community members burned shacks and belongings as they searched for alleged illegal miners known as ‘zama-zamas’ as a protest, following the alleged rape of eight models.

S. Africa: 14 charged in music video models' rape

Freelance miners have been accused of raping women who were shooting a music video in an empty mine, prompting backlash.
CrimeAugust 11, 2022
Borussia Dortmund defender Nico Schulz

Police probe German footballer for domestic violence

Police have said Nico Schulz is under criminal investigation after "a complaint filed by an ex-girlfriend."
CrimeAugust 8, 2022
Man hitting woman

Berlin cracks down on gender-based violence

Violence against women is on the rise in Germany. So are attacks against the LGBTQ community.
CrimeJuly 24, 2022
Protesters in Turkey with raised arms

Why a European treaty protecting women became politicized

The Istanbul Convention seeks to end violence against women — but some governments are resisting it. DW explains why.
PoliticsJuly 20, 2022
A protester holds a placard reading in Turkish: "Istanbul Convention', during a demonstration in Istanbul

Turkish court upholds exit from Istanbul Convention

The decision by President Erdogan to withdraw Turkey from the treaty on women's rights had triggered a backlash.
Human RightsJuly 19, 2022
Vera Pauw head coach of Ireland prior the international friendly match between Russia W and Ireland W at La Manga Club on February 19, 2022 in Cartagena, Spain.

Former Netherlands footballer Vera Pauw reveals sexual abuse

Vera Pauw said she was sexually abused by three people working with the Dutch national team during her playing career.
SportsJuly 2, 2022