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Eliminating violence and discrimination
Addressing all forms of violence and discrimination against women and girls, creating safe and supportive environments in food systems.
Gender-based violence (GBV), including physical, sexual, psychological, and economic abuse, as well as harmful practices, remains a pervasive violation of human rights and a stark reflection of gender inequality. GBV not only strips women and girls of dignity and security but also reinforces cycles of poverty, malnutrition, and food insecurity. Violence, or the threat of it, reduces women’s and girls’ ability to access education, work, earn an income, and access essential services, while increasing household costs such as medical care and deepening social isolation.
GBV is also widespread in food systems and agricultural contexts. For example, women and girls often face threats and sexual violence while collecting water, food, or fuelwood. Food insecurity itself can heighten household stress and trigger domestic violence. Factors such as extreme poverty, social fragmentation, and overcrowded living conditions intensify the risks of GBV. Other intersecting factors of discrimination based on race, ethnicity, disability, or migration status can further increase women’s exposure to violence. For example, women with disability tend to face higher rates of violence, including sexual violence (FAO, 2025).
The impacts of GBV are far-reaching, damaging women’s and girls’ physical, emotional, and mental health, undermining their ability to engage in livelihoods and decision-making, and hindering their essential contributions to food security and nutrition. Despite its widespread nature, GBV often remains hidden beneath a culture of shame, stigma, and silence. Addressing it is critical for achieving gender equality, resilience, and sustainable development.
Key figures
One-third of women have experienced physical and/or sexual violence at global level, and 38 percent of all female murder victims are killed by intimate partners (FAO, 2023).
One in eight women aged 15–49 (12.5%) has been subjected to physical and/or sexual violence by a partner in the last 12 months (UN Women, 2025).
Implement international legal obligations (e.g., the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women (CEDAW), International Labour Organizations (ILO) conventions) to criminalize GBV and protect survivors.
Strengthen and enforce national laws to prevent, respond and eliminate all forms of GBV, raise public and institutional awareness for better safeguarding and reporting mechanisms.
Provide survivor-centred services including emergency helplines, shelters, culturally sensitive legal support, and behavioural change programmes for perpetrators.
Ensure women’s and girls’ safety from the start of crises, with targeted support for survivors and those facing intersecting vulnerabilities (e.g. disability, age, Indigenous identity).
Address and transform harmful gender norms through awareness campaigns, education, and zero-tolerance policies, engaging men and boys in these processes.
Promote gender equality by supporting women’s and girls’ empowerment and reinforcing women’s rights, grassroots and Indigenous organizations that combat GBV in food security and nutrition.