Tackling Violence Against Women in the Middle East and North Africa
Governance and Victim/Survivor-Centred Approaches
Violence against women (VAW) and girls exists in all countries and across all socio-economic
groups, with around one in three women experiencing sexual and physical violence in
their lifetime worldwide. This issue was exacerbated by the COVID-19 pandemic, intensifying
the need for urgent action to eradicate it. Many governments, including in the MENA
region, have enacted policies and programmes to tackle VAW. However, limited strategic
planning, long-term investment in services, and co-ordinated responses among public
institutions and actors involved in the implementation of VAW strategies have made
it difficult to break the VAW cycle. Drawing on data collected through the 2022 OECD
Survey on Strengthening Governance and Victim/survivor-centric Approaches to end Violence
Against Women in MENA Countries, this report provides an overview of MENA countries’
efforts to develop whole-of-government VAW responses, especially during the COVID-19
pandemic and with a view to help anticipate future crises. It assesses the gaps that
hinder progress towards achieving lives free from violence for all women and girls
and provides recommendations to enhance the efficiency and effectiveness of the policy
and institutional frameworks across MENA countries in addressing VAW.