Violence Against Women in the WANA Region: A Legal Perspective

Regrettably, violence against women is a very common phenomenon throughout the West Asia and North Africa (WANA) region. When using the phrase “violence against women”, the general picture that comes to mind is that of a woman being beaten, harassed, or raped. However, it is important to be aware that violence is not only physical. According to the United Nations, violence against women is ‘any act of gender-based violence that results in, or is likely to result in, physical, sexual or psychological harm or suffering to women, including threats of such acts, coercion or arbitrary deprivation of liberty, whether occurring in public or in private life’. It is psychological violence in particular that should not be underestimated, especially in contexts where women are stereotyped and regarded as inferior to men.

This fact sheet is currently only available in English.