This systematic review updates the global evidence base for the RESPECT women framework by analyzing 178 reviews published since 2013. The findings reveal significant new evidence for the effectiveness of empowerment training, services for survivors, and gender-transformative approaches, though poverty reduction and relationship skills strategies require further research. Ultimately, the study highlights a critical need to adapt successful low-and-middle-income country (LMIC) interventions for high-income settings and vice versa to address global prevention gaps.
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Violence against women and girls in conflict: progress and priorities
Global conflict increasingly endangers women and girls, with 612 million living in close proximity to active war zones in 2023—a 41% increase since 2015 (Murphy et al., 2024). While the UN verified thousands of sexual violence incidents, a meta-analysis suggests the true scale of non-partner sexual violence in conflict (21% lifetime prevalence) is triple the global average (Murphy et al., 2024). This crisis is exacerbated by rising brutality in areas like Sudan and severe underfunding for life-saving survivor services (Murphy et al., 2024).
This systematic review of interventions in low- and middle-income countries indicates that school-based programs and economic strengthening initiatives are most effective when they utilize gender-transformative approaches. Successful programs typically combine multiple components, such as life skills training and community engagement, while involving adolescent boys to shift harmful social norms. The findings highlight a critical need for more research in the Middle East, North Africa, and Latin America to address regional evidence gaps.
Research to Action Toolkit: VAWG in Conflict and Humanitarian Settings
This Research to Action Toolkit, developed by the Global Women’s Institute (GWI) and the International Rescue Committee (IRC), provides a practical framework for turning academic research on Violence Against Women and Girls (VAWG) into actionable humanitarian programming. Designed specifically for practitioners and policymakers in conflict settings, the toolkit addresses the gap between data collection and field implementation, emphasizing that evidence must be accessible and interpretable to create effective protection strategies.
Interventions To Prevent Violence Against Women And Girls Globally
This 2025 systematic review updates the evidence for the RESPECT women framework, confirming that VAWG is preventable through targeted, evidence-based action. Key updates show that empowerment training and survivor psychological support are now proven "promising" strategies across both high-income and low-income settings. While microfinance paired with gender training has gained strong evidence in low-income countries, the review notes that perpetrator interventions still lack consistent proof of effectiveness. What Works
Community-Based Approaches to Intimate Partner Violence
Community-based mobilization is the most effective strategy for preventing intimate partner violence (IPV) by targeting root causes across the socio-ecological spectrum. Unlike reactive services, proven models like SASA! and Stepping Stones proactively transform harmful social norms and power imbalances through long-term community engagement. By involving men, boys, and local leaders in critical dialogue, these programs shift social attitudes from acceptance to action, achieving up to a 52% reduction in physical violence.
In conflict and humanitarian crises, the breakdown of law and social structures intensifies systemic gender inequality, making intimate partner violence (IPV) the most prevalent threat—often surpassing war-related sexual violence. Displacement and extreme poverty drive cycles of forced child marriage and bride-price-related abductions as families struggle to survive. Breaking this cycle requires "gender-transformative" interventions that combine economic aid with community-led programs to challenge the patriarchal norms that entrench violence long after a conflict ends.
The Global Women’s Institute (GWI) conducts research and advocacy to protect women and girls from systemic violence, particularly in conflict zones like South Sudan and among U.S. immigrant populations. Their findings highlight that while war-related crimes are devastating, intimate partner violence and forced marriage are often the most pervasive threats, driven by a collapse of legal protections and economic desperation. GWI promotes "gender-transformative" solutions—such as school-based prevention and legislative reforms like the International Violence Against Women Act (IVAWA)—to challenge the root inequalities and social norms that sustain abuse globally.
In South Sudan, women and girls are trapped in a cycle of violence fueled by the intersection of armed conflict, a collapsing economy, and patriarchal customs. While conflict-related sexual violence is used as a weapon of war, intimate partner violence and forced child marriage are the most pervasive threats, often normalized as traditional "discipline" or financial necessity. The bride price system—where girls are exchanged for cattle—has turned women into economic assets, driving abductions and early marriages as families struggle to survive. This systemic inequality, combined with a total breakdown of the rule of law, leaves survivors with almost no path to safety or justice.
In South Sudan, women and girls face some of the world’s highest rates of abuse, with up to 65% experiencing physical or sexual violence. While conflict-related rape is a major threat, intimate partner violence is actually the most common form of abuse, driven by "bride price" customs that treat women as economic assets. Despite this, survivors rarely seek help due to intense social stigma, the breakdown of the rule of law, and a lack of safe services, leaving them with almost no path to justice or recovery.