India continues to record one of the highest levels of violence against women and children in the world, with a new study revealing that over 30 percent of Indian women and 13 percent of men aged 15 and above experienced sexual violence during childhood. The latest findings published in The Lancet draw on the Global Burden of Disease (GBD) Study 2023—one of the most extensive assessments of global health trends.

The report places India among the worst-affected countries in South Asia, where sexual and intimate partner violence remains pervasive and deeply under-reported. The study shows that 23 percent of Indian women aged 15 and above have suffered intimate partner violence, reflecting entrenched gender inequality, weak protections for survivors, and inadequate enforcement of existing laws. Researchers warn that violence endured in childhood carries long-term health consequences.

Survivors of sexual violence are at higher risk of anxiety, major depressive disorders, substance abuse, chronic illnesses, self-harm, and schizophrenia—conditions that collectively undermine social stability and economic productivity. Health experts say the findings highlight the urgent need for stronger legal frameworks, gender-equality measures, community-level interventions, and easily accessible survivor-support systems.

They stress that preventing violence against women and children is not only a human rights imperative but a critical public-health priority. The World Health Organization, in a report released last month, similarly flagged India’s high rates of abuse, noting that over a fifth of Indian women aged 15–49 were subjected to intimate partner violence in 2023, and nearly 30 percent had experienced such violence at some point in their lives. 

Credit: Independent News Pakistan (INP)