Why we MUST end victim-blaming in domestic violence

Domestic violence is a global epidemic impacting more women than war and cancer combined. Yet misinformation and misconceptions are actively fuelling this injustice. If we’re to eradicate domestic violence, we must first end victim-blaming. Here’s why.

We like to imagine that the world has grown more enlightened about domestic violence. It is no longer legal – in many countries, at least – for a man to beat or rape his wife. Some nations, such as the UK, have gone one step further in pushing to make psychological and emotional abuse (coercive control) a criminal offence. We live in a time in which there is unprecedented awareness of domestic violence / abuse and arguably greater social rejection of this devastating crime than ever before.

Yet domestic violence remains a global epidemic, present in every culture and community worldwide:

• Women aged 15-44 are more at risk from domestic violence and rape than…