Gender-based violence prevalence based on health systems data or on police reports may underestimate the actual total prevalence by 11- to 128-fold, it has been revealed.
According to a new global study, vast majority of women who have experienced GBV remain uncounted and it further indicates that not only are most survivors not receiving formal services, but they are not receiving informal support from friends and family members as well.
The research led by Tia Palermo, Assistant Professor in Public Health and the Department of Preventive Medicine at Stony Brook University School of Medicine has suggested that efforts must be made to reduce the stigma of such violence and increase local dissemination of information on available services to GBV survivors, particularly in rural areas and to young women
The paper, titled 'Tip of the Iceberg: Reporting and Gender-Based Violence in Developing Countries', is soon to be published online in the American Journal of Epidemiology.