Education as a Key Strategy to Prevent Violence Against Women and Girls

Transform Fear into Courage – The Voices of Women

Violence against women and girls remains a widespread global issue and a serious violation of human rights. It affects individuals across all ages, cultures, and socio-economic backgrounds in Europe and worldwide.

Abuse can take many forms, including physical, emotional, psychological, sexual, and economic control, and it often occurs in silence.

According to the World Health Organisation (WHO), approximately 1 in 3 women globally experience physical or sexual violence in their lifetime, most often by an intimate partner. This statistic highlights the urgent need for prevention, education, and early intervention.

Each year, efforts to raise awareness about violence against women and girls are highlighted during the 16 Days of Activism Against Gender-Based Violence, which runs from 25 November (the International Day for the Elimination of Violence Against Women) to 10 December (Human Rights Day).

While there is no officially designated “awareness month,” this global campaign is widely recognised as a key period for education, reflection, and action.

Organisations, schools, and communities use this time to speak out against abuse, promote gender equality, and support survivors, reinforcing the message that violence in any form is unacceptable and preventable through collective responsibility and cultural change.

The role of education in prevention

Education is one of the most powerful long-term tools for preventing violence against women and girls. It helps to build awareness, strengthen confidence, and equip individuals with the ability to recognise unhealthy or abusive behaviours before they escalate.

When education is prioritised, it enables women and girls to:

• Identify early warning signs of coercive or controlling behaviour

• Understand what healthy, respectful relationships look like

• Know their rights under national and international law

• Access support services without fear or stigma

• Break cycles of abuse across generations

Importantly, education also plays a vital role in engaging boys and men in meaningful conversations about respect, equality, and non-violence.

Fostering understanding from an early age, it helps to challenge harmful attitudes and create a culture where violence is neither normalised nor tolerated.

Key statistics and global context

Violence against women is a global crisis recognised by leading international organisations:

• World Health Organisation (WHO): Around 30% of women worldwide experience physical or sexual violence in their lifetime.

• United Nations Women (UN Women): Reports that fewer than 40% of women who experience violence seek help of any kind.

• European Union Agency for Fundamental Rights (FRA): Found that 1 in 3 women in the EU has experienced physical and/or sexual violence since the age of 15.

• UN Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC): Estimates that a significant proportion of female homicide victims are killed by intimate partners or family members.

These figures underline the importance of prevention strategies that go beyond response and focus on early education and awareness.

Organisations working to end violence against women

Many international and local organisations are actively working to prevent abuse, support survivors, and promote gender equality:

Global organisations

• UN Women – Leads global initiatives on gender equality and violence prevention

• World Health Organisation (WHO) – Develops global health strategies addressing violence against women

• UNFPA (United Nations Population Fund) – Focuses on reproductive health and the prevention of gender-based violence

• UNICEF – Works to protect children and young women from abuse and exploitation

🇪🇺 Europe-focused organisations

• European Institute for Gender Equality (EIGE) – Provides research and policy guidance across EU member states

• Council of Europe – Istanbul Convention Framework – The most comprehensive legal framework for preventing and combating violence against women in Europe

🇬🇧 United Kingdom organisations

• Women’s Aid – National charity supporting survivors of domestic abuse

• Refuge UK – Provides emergency accommodation and support for women and children escaping violence

• SafeLives – Works to end domestic abuse through training, research, and advocacy

• End Violence Against Women Coalition (EVAW) – Campaigns for systemic change and stronger legal protection

These organisations play a critical role in providing services, shaping policy, and raising awareness, but prevention must begin in communities through education and open dialogue.

Community action: Transform Fear into Courage

This message is closely connected to the upcoming community event:

Transform Fear into Courage – The Voices of Women

• Support • Solidarity • Prevention • The Power to Speak

• Plymouth, Devon & Cornwall

Violence against women and girls is not acceptable in any form ~ physical, emotional, verbal, psychological, or economic ~ regardless of who it comes from.

This event aims to create a safe, informed, and empowering space for women, families, and the wider community.

Programme focus

The event will provide a structured and educational programme including:

• Personal testimonies from survivors who have rebuilt their lives

• Expert talks from domestic abuse prevention specialists

• Education on recognising early warning signs of abuse

• Guidance on healthy relationships and mutual respect

• Information on legal rights and support pathways

• Workshops for mothers and daughters focused on confidence, self-respect, and prevention

  
  

Why education must come first

While support services are essential, prevention through education is equally critical. When individuals understand what abuse looks like and know their rights, they are more likely to act early and seek help.

Education transforms silence into awareness, and awareness into protection.

💜 Final message

Violence against women and girls is not inevitable; it is preventable.

With strong education systems, informed communities, and accessible support services, it is possible to reduce risk, protect vulnerable individuals, and create lasting change.

Together, we can transform fear into courage, silence into voices, and knowledge into protection.

 — Insights from Author: Cristina Z, Teacher and Co-Founder of EDUART C.I.C., a non-profit dedicated to innovative education and youth training