The World Health Organization (WHO) has called for improved international research to ensure that it recognizes and meets the specific needs of older women and women with disabilities.
According to a report released by the WHO on March 27, 2024, older women and women with disabilities face a particular risk of abuse, yet their situation is largely hidden in most global and national violence-related data.
Dr. Lynnmarie Sardinha, the technical officer at WHO, said that older women and women with disabilities are underrepresented in most of the research on violence against women.
“Older women and women with disabilities are underrepresented in much of the available research on violence against women, which undermines the ability of programmes to meet their particular needs,” Dr. Sardinha said.
He stated that the data shows a high prevalence among these groups, with evidence of gender-based violence, adding that intimate partner and sexual violence are the most common forms of gender-based violence globally, affecting around 1 in 3 women.
”One systematic review found that women with disabilities were more likely to experience intimate partner violence than those without, and another found higher rates of sexual violence,” Sardinha said.
“Understanding how diverse women and girls are differently affected and how they are accessing services is critical to ending violence in all its forms,” Dr. Sardinha added.
He explained that sexual intimate partner violence remained the most common form of abuse, but some women reported a shift away from physical and sexual violence and towards psychological violence.
He stated that stigma and discrimination can further reduce access to services or information or result in their accounts of violence being dismissed by respondents.
Head of Rights and Equality across the Life Course Unit at WHO and HRP, Dr. Avni Amin, said that Gender-Based Violence is rooted in unequal power and control over women.
“For older women and women with disabilities, their dependency and isolation are further exploited by perpetrators, increasing their risk of abuse. Services must be responsive to their needs and identify appropriate contacts through the health and care systems, so that all women experiencing violence can access empathetic, survivor-centered care,” Dr. Amin.
WHO recommends several measures to address evidence gaps, noting that older women are currently represented in only about 10% of the data on violence against women, which includes extending the age limit for survey participation. They also suggested incorporating questions relating to different types of violence, encompassing a broad spectrum of disabilities.
