RESPECT women: preventing violence against women, 2nd edition

WHOGuidelineCurrent editionCC BY-NC-SA 3.0 IGO

World Health Organization · 2nd edition, 2025 · 34 pages

Seven evidence-based strategies to prevent violence against women for policymakers and programme implementers worldwide.

In one sentenceRESPECT framework presents seven evidence-based strategies (relationship skills, women's empowerment, services, poverty reduction, safe environments, child abuse prevention, transformed norms) to prevent violence affecting 1-in-3 women globally, now including humanitarian settings.

Issuer: World Health Organization
Edition: 2nd edition, 2025
Audience: Policymakers, programme implementers working on prevention and response to violence against women, public health professionals
Evidence: Based on three systematic reviews (2021–2025) of intervention evaluations using experimental and quasi-experimental designs; evidence ratings from multiple evaluations
Reviewed: 14 Oct 2026 · GMJ

Read the original on WHO Download PDF (34 pp)

Summary by GMJ Guidelines Desk•Reviewed by Prof. Giorgi Pkhakadze, MD, MPH, PhD•Record updated 14 Oct 2026•Next check Apr 2027

What this guideline says

GMJ summary

RESPECT women is an interagency prevention framework presenting seven evidence-based strategies to prevent violence against women globally. Nearly 1 in 3 women worldwide (30%) have experienced physical and/or sexual violence by an intimate partner or sexual violence by any perpetrator; 25% of ever-partnered women aged 15+ have experienced intimate partner violence in their lifetime.

The seven RESPECT strategies are: Relationship skills strengthened, Empowerment of women, Services ensured, Poverty reduced, Environments made safe, Child and adolescent abuse prevented, and Transformed attitudes, beliefs and norms. Each strategy encompasses specific interventions rated by evidence quality from rigorous evaluations.

This second edition adds content on humanitarian emergencies, updates the evidence base through systematic reviews, and explicitly addresses the disproportionate risks faced by adolescent girls, women with disabilities, indigenous women, and trans women. The framework emphasizes multi-sectoral coordination, participatory approaches, and developing theories of change with attention to both immediate outcomes and long-term impact measured through SDG indicators 5.2 and 16.2.

Key points

For clinicians — doses and thresholds as stated in the guideline

Nearly 1 in 3 women (30%) worldwide have experienced physical and/or sexual violence; 25% of ever-partnered women aged 15+ have experienced intimate partner violence in their lifetime
Seven prevention strategies (RESPECT): relationship skills strengthened, empowerment of women, services ensured, poverty reduced, environments made safe, child and adolescent abuse prevented, transformed attitudes/beliefs/norms
Group-based workshops promoting egalitarian attitudes (Stepping Stones, South Africa) reduced men's perpetration of intimate partner violence, rape and transactional sex over two years
Microfinance plus gender empowerment training (MAISHA, Tanzania) reduced physical or sexual intimate partner violence by approximately 31% compared to control
Community mobilization (SASA!, Uganda) increased rejection of physical violence as acceptable from 26% to 76% among women and men, at US$460 per incident case averted
Economic transfers equivalent to $40/month for 6 months (Ecuador) reduced women's experience of controlling behaviours and physical/sexual violence by 19–30%
Long-term impact measured through SDG indicator 5.2 (prevalence of intimate partner violence in last 12 months among women 15+) and SDG 16.2 (sexual violence by age 18)
In humanitarian emergencies, additional risk factors include breakdown of social networks, proliferation of weapons, increased controlling behaviours, forced marriages of girls, and systematic targeting of women for rape

RESPECT strategies with example interventions and evidence ratings

Table extracted from the guideline

Strategy	Example intervention	Setting	Evidence rating
Relationship skills strengthened	Group-based workshops with women and men to promote egalitarian attitudes and relationships	HIC, LMIC	Promising
Empowerment of women	Microfinance or savings and loans plus gender and empowerment or psychosocial support	HIC, LMIC, Humanitarian	Promising
Services ensured	Empowerment counselling interventions or psychological support to support access to services (advocacy)	HIC, LMIC, Humanitarian	Promising
Poverty reduced	Economic transfers including conditional/unconditional cash transfers, vouchers, and in-kind transfers	LMIC, Humanitarian	Promising
Environments made safe	Safety patrol groups and provision of firewood/alternative energy	LMIC, Humanitarian	More evidence needed
Child and adolescent abuse prevented	Parenting interventions plus psychosocial support	HIC, LMIC, Humanitarian	Promising
Transformed attitudes, beliefs, and norms	Community mobilization	HIC, LMIC, Humanitarian	Promising

Source: World Health Organization, RESPECT women: preventing violence against women, 2nd edition. Reproduced in summary form.

What changed in this edition

Versus the previous edition

Added content addressing interventions appropriate for humanitarian emergencies based on two systematic reviews on humanitarian settings
Updated evidence base for development settings through a systematic review of reviews conducted in 2024–2025
Explicitly encourages users to address disproportionate risks faced by adolescent girls, women with disabilities, indigenous women, and trans women
Added risk and protective factors specific to humanitarian emergencies including disaster preparedness, breakdown of rule of law, and family separation
Added guidance on integrating minimum service standards for survivors into emergency preparedness and planning
Emphasized prioritizing prevention of sexual exploitation and abuse (PSEA) in humanitarian responses

From the guideline

Verbatim

“Nearly 1 in 3 (30%) women worldwide have experienced physical and/or sexual violence by an intimate partner or sexual violence, not including sexual harassment, by any perpetrator.”

— World Health Organization, RESPECT women: preventing violence against women, 2nd edition, Section I: Know the facts, page 2 (2025)

Editor’s perspective

Why this matters for Georgia and the region

Prof. Giorgi Pkhakadze, MD, MPH, PhD

Editor-in-Chief, Georgian Medical Journal · Chair, Public Health Institute of Georgia · WHO consultant, health and migration

As someone who has worked extensively with WHO on health systems and vulnerable populations across Eastern Europe and the Caucasus, I recognise that violence against women remains a critical but under-addressed public health issue in our region. The evidence that combined interventions—such as microfinance with gender empowerment training reducing intimate partner violence by 31%, or community mobilization increasing rejection of violence from 26% to 76%—offers concrete pathways for Georgian health and social service providers. The framework's inclusion of humanitarian settings is particularly relevant given our region's history of conflict and displacement in Abkhazia, South Ossetia, and Nagorno-Karabakh. The most significant implementation challenge will be establishing the multi-sectoral coordination this framework requires: whilst Georgia has made progress in universal health coverage and some gender equality legislation, we lack the integrated systems linking health services, law enforcement, education, and social services that effective violence prevention demands, and building these partnerships will require sustained political commitment and resources beyond what pilot programmes typically receive.

ORCID 0000-0001-7609-4515 · Perspective written for the GMJ Guidelines Library, 14 Oct 2026

Applicability

Georgia and the South Caucasus

Georgia and the South Caucasus face both development and humanitarian challenges relevant to this framework. The region has experienced conflict and displacement (Abkhazia, South Ossetia, Nagorno-Karabakh), making the humanitarian emergency content directly applicable. National programmes would need to assess context-specific risk factors including attitudes accepting violence, economic inequality, and access to alcohol, whilst building on protective factors such as Georgia’s commitment to gender equality legislation and universal health coverage introduced in 2013. Implementation would require coordination across health, education, law enforcement and social services sectors, with particular attention to rural and conflict-affected populations. Measuring progress through SDG indicators 5.2 and 16.2 would require establishing or strengthening national violence surveillance systems with confidential data collection methods.

Questions this guideline answers

Quick answers

What are the seven RESPECT strategies for preventing violence against women?

The seven strategies are: Relationship skills strengthened (communication, conflict management); Empowerment of women (economic and social empowerment, safe spaces, mentoring); Services ensured (police, legal, health, social services); Poverty reduced (cash transfers, microfinance, labour force interventions); Environments made safe (safe schools, public spaces, workplaces); Child and adolescent abuse prevented (parenting programmes, prohibiting corporal punishment); Transformed attitudes, beliefs and norms (challenging harmful gender stereotypes through campaigns, education, community mobilization).

Which interventions have the strongest evidence of effectiveness?

Interventions rated as 'promising' (>1 evaluation showing significant reductions in violence) include: group-based workshops promoting egalitarian relationships; microfinance plus gender empowerment training; empowerment counselling/advocacy for survivors; economic transfers; parenting interventions with psychosocial support; and community mobilization. Examples: Stepping Stones reduced men's perpetration in South Africa; MAISHA reduced intimate partner violence by 31% in Tanzania; SASA! increased rejection of violence from 26% to 76% in Uganda; cash transfers in Ecuador reduced violence by 19–30%.

How should prevention programmes be adapted for humanitarian emergencies?

In humanitarian settings, programmes must address additional risk factors including breakdown of social networks, proliferation of weapons, systematic targeting of women for rape, forced displacement, and family separation. Protective strategies include disaster preparedness planning that includes violence prevention, improving camp security, ensuring women's access to humanitarian aid, reducing access to alcohol, supporting girls to remain in school, and family reunification efforts. Minimum service standards for survivors should be integrated into emergency preparedness, and prevention of sexual exploitation and abuse (PSEA) must be prioritized.

How is progress in violence prevention measured?

Long-term impact is measured as reductions in prevalence of violence against women through two SDG indicators: prevalence of intimate partner violence in the last 12 months among women aged 15+ (SDG 5.2), and proportion of young women and men aged 18–29 who experienced sexual violence by age 18 (SDG 16.2). Short-to-medium term interim indicators include improvements in gender-equitable attitudes and norms, equitable power in relationships with partners, women's autonomy/agency/self-efficacy, and girls' and women's education. A theory of change should elaborate how programme inputs lead to these outcomes.

Related on GMJ

Interconnected resources

Dictionary of Public Health

Intimate partner violence

GMJ News coverage

Adverse Childhood Experiences in Rural India: Why Western Frameworks Fall ShortSep 2026