Book Description

Violence against women (VAW) and girls exists in all countries and across all socio-economic groups, with around one in three women experiencing sexual and physical violence in their lifetime worldwide. This issue was exacerbated by the COVID-19 pandemic, intensifying the need for urgent action to eradicate it. Many governments, including in the MENA region, have enacted policies and programmes to tackle VAW. However, limited strategic planning, long-term investment in services, and co-ordinated responses among public institutions and actors involved in the implementation of VAW strategies have made it difficult to break the VAW cycle. Drawing on data collected through the 2022 OECD Survey on Strengthening Governance and Victim/survivor-centric Approaches to end Violence Against Women in MENA Countries, this report provides an overview of MENA countries’ efforts to develop whole-of-government VAW responses, especially during the COVID-19 pandemic and with a view to help anticipate future crises. It assesses the gaps that hinder progress towards achieving lives free from violence for all women and girls and provides recommendations to enhance the efficiency and effectiveness of the policy and institutional frameworks across MENA countries in addressing VAW.