by Charlotte Watts and Cathy Zimmerman

About the authors: Charlotte Watts and Cathy Zimmerman are researchers with the Health Policy Unit, Department of Public Health and Policy, at the London School of Tropical Medicine in London, England.

In the past few years, WHO [World Health Organization], the American Medical Association, International Federation of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists, Royal College of Nursing, and other professional medical organisations have made statements about the public-health importance of violence against women. Several organisations have developed guidelines on how health workers can better identify, support, and refer victims of violence. These actions result from a growing recognition that violence represents a serious violation of women’s human rights, is an important cause of injury, and is a risk factor for many physical and psychological health problems. Understanding gender-based violence...