During the week of 6th July 2026, four women and girls were killed in Australia. Lavanya Chappa (age 39), Jana Armstrong (age 30), and two teenaged girls. Each of these precious lives lost in one week unnecessarily. These women were our future. Their names are now among a gut-wrenching list of femicide victims and an immeasurable loss to their families and communities. Femicide (the targeted killing of women based on gender) is a growing threat to women and girls.
Everyone should know and never forget their names. These young lives were tragically cut short due to gender inequity and patriarchal norms which communicate women’s lives are dependent upon the mercy of men. Simply put, this is a global health crisis and should not be a reality for women and girls. Given the prevalence of harm against women, communities must fortify the health care infrastructure to support victim recovery and prevention programs targeting those that cause the harm.
What the female GBV research tells us
Research shows that femicide is also a serious crisis in the US with substantial racial disparities. Black women are killed at a rate six times higher than their White female counterparts. The study found that 55% of all femicide in the US is related to intimate partner violence and women are eleven times more likely to be killed with a gun compared to women and girls in other high-income countries. Female gender-based violence (GBV) is an enduring public health issue with substantial prevalence in both poor and rich countries alike.
The World Health Organization (WHO) and United Nations partners estimate that one in three women and girls globally have been victims of physical and/or sexual violence by an intimate- or non-partner in their lifetime. That statistic comprises about 840 million or 31.6% of women and girls worldwide. These statistics are alarming and in the 21st century, confirm the power wielded by patriarchal societies, continues to devalue women and girls at its own peril.
55% of all femicide in the US is related to intimate partner violence and women are eleven times more likely to be killed with a gun compared to women and girls in other high-income countries.
Women and girls deserve the same humanity as their male counterparts and at a minimum, they deserve safety. They deserve to securely move in their homes, communities, and institutions without fear of harm. Instead, they must remain hyper-vigilant and anticipate dangers their men rarely plan for.
The mental health cost of female GBV
The mental health costs of female GBV are monumental. Depression, posttraumatic stress disorder, substance use disorders, anxiety, and suicidal ideation are frequently experienced in the aftermath of GBV. Clinicians must understand the importance of specialized mental health interventions alongside female GBV victims’ physical needs, to prevent a litany of long-term adverse psychological outcomes. Often, the health care system focuses primarily on the physical and not the mental health needs of victims. The path from victim to survivor is long and the mental health infrastructure must match that road to recovery.
Considering the global prevalence of female GBV, public health infrastructures must be retooled to support the unique needs of victim recovery. The impacts of this particular harm are varied and as such, must employ a multi-dimensional approach. These retooled approaches should enhance mental health outreach and resources to ensure secondary victim harm is prevented as women travel the path to healing.
Absent these approaches, victim trauma is compounded, resulting in a diminished quality of life. They should also include prevention programmes targeting men and boys to prevent the adoption of biased and sexist stereotypes which dehumanise women in the first place. Statistics illustrate we can no longer support the status quo and must augment prevention programmes to target the perpetrators of female GBV harm.
Counselling programmes not only require victim intervention and recovery, but a targeted plan for preventative intervention for men. Women need men alongside them to become advocates for their safety. Helping men understand the importance of this advocacy through school, perpetrator reform, and community intervention programs are essential.
The community impact of harm against women
The public health and socioeconomic impacts of female GBV at the community level are devastating. According to the WHO, victims of female GBV are more likely to suffer from a plethora of health issues. Some of these issues include unplanned pregnancies, sexually transmitted diseases, abdominal maladies, headaches, and survivors are 2.5 times more likely to have low-income employment. Each of these issues carry their own adverse mental health impact, alongside the initial trauma.
Limited or no economic resources for these victims complicates the road to recovery. A lack of gainful employment limits a victim’s ability to secure legal support in seeking justice against their perpetrators. A woman’s ability to seek justice against her perpetrator(s) plays a critical role in recovery, particularly from a psychological perspective. The WHO further asserts 40% of women with informal employment arrangements encounter a higher risk of GBV and the cost to the global economy is significant, totalling $1.5 trillion annually. We cannot afford the cost of female GBV on a global or community scale.
Persons belonging to the female gender deserve the same humanity as their male counterparts and at a minimum, they deserve safety.
What frontline clinicians should know about female GBV
Enhancing clinician knowledge about how to adequately treat victims of female GBV can improve clinical outcomes for victims, dispel rape myths, and help with processing forensic evidence. Women and girls that fall victim to GBV should receive clinical care that will address their holistic well-being, not only their immediate physical needs after the violence.
Health care facilities should be staffed with frontline health care workers that are trained on the sensitivities surrounding GBV, related treatment plans, and are knowledgeable about the care resources required. Improving clinician knowledge about how to adequately treat victims of female GBV can enhance clinical outcomes, dispel rape myths held by clinical institutions, and fortify a health care continuum focused on full recovery. Acquiring the necessary mental health resources for recovery is vital for complete healing.
These retooled approaches should enhance mental health outreach and resources to ensure secondary victim harm is prevented.
Understanding mental health care gaps for this patient population is critical for effective clinician training and improved health outcomes among this underserved patient group. Health care providers serve an integral role in assisting female GBV survivors heal from the trauma of violent physical and/or sexual assault. Thus, ensuring clinicians are properly trained to appropriately triage and care for female survivors of GBV is an integral component for their continued well-being.
Optimal health care delivery relies on accommodating the holistic health of target populations. Female GBV survivors must have adequate access to the mental health care resources needed for recovery and a return to normalcy after the trauma. As a society, we owe women this fundamental right, given societal narratives perpetuate messaging that contributes to this harm.
Female GBV is not only an assault on the victim’s person, but identity. Rebuilding a victim’s identity after trauma requires the mental health resources to pull the scattered pieces of a person’s identity back together again. Appropriate and compassionate mental health care access for female GBV victims must be a priority. It is the only road for full recovery.
