Want to tackle GBV? Start by rewriting justice through survivors’ eyes

The United Kingdom government has said it aims to focus on stronger gender-based violence laws, investment in prevention, specialist training, and education reforms domestically, and pledged to carry its commitments to tackling violence into its foreign policy. But is this what survivors of gender-based violence want?

One in three women worldwide will experience physical and/or sexual violence in their lifetime, and external pressures such as economic instability, conflict, and climate change are making the situation worse. 

When the U.K. government recently announced its participation in the “All In” initiative, a major new coalition that brings together international leaders, experts, and influential personalities from across the world to tackle violence against women and girls, and published its freedom from violence against women and girls strategy, it signaled renewed energy for tackling the epidemic of gender-based violence.