Violence, pregnancy and abortion Issues of women's rights and public health: A review of worldwide data

To mark the annual International Day Against Violence Against Women, Ipas is pleased to present a monograph that sheds light on a largely unexamined aspect of this significant social problem: the relationship between violence, pregnancy and abortion. The full text of the monograph is available free of charge on Ipas’s website.

Violence, pregnancy and abortion: Issues of women's rights and public health explores the intersection of these issues through a comprehensive literature review with a global perspective and reference to international human rights standards. It suggests concrete measures different sectors of society can take to reduce women’s suffering and to ensure their basic human right to be free from violence.

Researchers estimate that 10 to 50 percent of women worldwide have suffered physical violence, usually perpetrated by their male partners. Millions more women and girls of all ages suffer other forms of violence, ranging from psychological abuse to sexual violence and murder.

Violence of all forms has an especially strong impact on women of reproductive age, in many cases leading to acute or ongoing sexual and reproductive health problems. The 98-page monograph explores the possible links between violence, pregnancy and abortion with an aim toward informing and motivating researchers, policymakers, health professionals, law-enforcement agencies and others to increase their efforts to address violence in relation to pregnancy and abortion.

The thoroughly researched and documented text is enriched by real-life quotes from all over the world that illustrate the violent reality many women and girls face every day. The monograph also includes a comprehensive listing of web and print resources on relevant topics.

Ipas is a global non-governmental organization that works to increase women's ability to exercise their sexual and reproductive rights and to reduce abortion-related deaths and injuries.

For more information, contact:
Kirsten Sherk
Senior Associate, Media Relations
e-mail: sherkk@ipas.org
phone: 919.960.5612
fax: 919.929.0258