16 Facts About Gender-Based Torture from 21 Countries
Over the past three decades, significant strides have been made in developing and interpreting norms to advance women’s rights. Yet, these advancements have not translated into greater safety for women from gender-based violence. Although the Committee Against Torture and other anti-torture mechanisms, have recognized acts like domestic violence, reproductive violence (such as abortion ban, forced sterilisation), forced and child marriage, and the lack of gender sensitive detention regimes as forms of torture or other cruel, inhuman, or degrading treatment, gender-based violence against women remain persistently high.
To inform this piece, we have used data collected by OMCT’s network members and partners from 21 countries (Bahrain, Belarus, Colombia, Congo, El Salvador, Ethiopia, Hungary, India, Italy, Kyrgyzstan, Libya, Mexico, Moldova, Nigeria, Pakistan, the Philippines, the Russian Federation, Spain, Togo, Tunisia and Türkiye), for the Global Torture Index, a new platform designed to measure the risk of torture and ill-treatment across various countries currently being consolidated by the OMCT in collaboration with the SOS-Torture Network and set to be officially launched in 2025.
Based on this data, here are 16 facts about gender-based torture to mark the 16 days of activism against gender-based violence. Those facts do not only highlight systematic gaps and challenges, but also show where progress is being made.
Detention Conditions
1. Partners reported that in 16 countries, independent medical examinations after allegations of torture or ill-treatment are rarely conducted.
2. Alternatives to detention for pregnant women and mothers are scarce. Partners from 14 countries reported that alternatives to detention were rarely offered. Only in 4 (Hungary, Italy, Kyrgyzstan and Tunisia) countries is it often offered.
3. Pre- and post-natal care is inconsistently provided, with only 6 (Congo, Ethiopia, Hungary, Kyrgyzstan, Moldova and Tunisia) countries offering these services often.
4. Trauma counselling for survivors is almost non-existent. Only 3 African countries (Ethiopia, Congo, and Togo) reported that detained women have access to trauma counselling for violence and trafficking.
5. Partners from 6 countries reported that pregnant women, breastfeeding mothers, and women with infants were subjected to solitary confinement.
6. Encouragingly, restraints during labour and childbirth seems rare in the surveyed 21 countries. However, from 3 countries, (Mexico, the Philippines, and Turkey) it was reported to be frequent.
7. Data on sexual violence in detention was available from 17 countries and from 12 of those it was reported to be rare or even very rare.
Reproductive Violence
8. Female Genital Mutilation is practiced in almost 50% of the surveyed countries
9. While 20 countries allow abortion under certain circumstances, 7 (India, Libya, Mexico, Nigeria, the Philippines, Togo, and Türkiye) impose de facto bans due to restrictive policies and short timeframes. El Salvador enforces a total ban on abortion.
10. Partners from 17 countries reported that virginity testing is rarely or very rarely reported.
11. While compliance with the prohibition on forced sterilization is common, frequent violations however persist in 2 countries, namely Bahrain and the Philippines.
Femicides
12. Data on femicides is severely lacking; from 10 of the 21 surveyed countries data is not available on femicide rates.
13. Conviction rates for femicide are alarmingly low. Only from 6 countries conviction data is available, and in just 2 (El Salvador and Italy) of them, was the conviction rate reported to exceeded 75%.
14. Honor killings remain a tragic reality with occurrences reported in 10 countries. In India and Pakistan this is particularly widespread.
Domestic Violence
15. The UN reported that one in three women are subjected to physical and/or sexual intimate partner violence, non-partner sexual violence, or both at least once in their life. At the same time, conviction rates of perpetrators are low. Network members and partners from 6, of the 8 countries in which data was available, reported that less than 25% of complaints result in a conviction. Highest rates were reported from Togo (50-75%) and the Philippines (20-50%).
16. Shelters for survivors are critically inadequate. Only partners from Italy and Spain reported having accessible shelters for victims and survivors of intimate partner violence. From 13 countries it was reported that the state provides rarely or very rarely access to shelters.
Time to Act
These 16 facts reflect the stark reality faced by women and girls subjected to violence. Governments must prioritize survivor-centered and gender-sensitive approaches, address systemic barriers, and provide essential services to combat violence against women effectively. The 16 Days of Activism is a call for accountability, justice, and lasting change. Every number in these 16 facts represents countless lives impacted by violence. Let these statistics inspire all of us to work toward a future where gender-based violence is not a universal crisis but a chapter we’ve left behind.