Gender-based violence

Gender-based violence is a pervasive form of violence and harassment rooted in unequal power relations between (and among) women and men, and it both reflects and reinforces the subordinate status of women in many societies (Cruz and Klinger, 2011). While anyone can be victim of such violence, including those who do not conform to gender stereotypes or to traditional, societal expectations based on gender - for example, LGBTI persons - the great majority of reported cases concerns women.