Oslo, November 20, 2025 — One in three women worldwide — approximately 840 million — has experienced intimate partner violence (IPV) or sexual violence in her lifetime, according to a landmark new report released today by the World Health Organization (WHO). The findings, drawn from the most comprehensive global dataset ever compiled on gender-based violence, reveal a disturbing stagnation: the prevalence rate has shown no meaningful decline over the past 25 years.
Even more alarming, an estimated 316 million women were subjected to physical or sexual violence by an intimate partner in the past 12 months alone — equivalent to the entire population of Indonesia. These figures underscore a systemic global failure to translate decades of advocacy into effective prevention and response systems.
A Crisis of Funding and Political Will
The WHO report highlights a catastrophic misalignment between the scale of the crisis and the resources devoted to addressing it. In 2022, a mere 0.2% of global development assistance — roughly $1.2 billion — was directed toward programs aimed at preventing violence against women and girls. In 2025, preliminary data indicates this funding has declined further, despite rising reports of violence in conflict zones and post-pandemic economic stressors.
This underinvestment is not merely a budgetary oversight — it is a moral and strategic failure. Evidence consistently demonstrates that targeted interventions, such as community-based prevention programs, economic empowerment initiatives for women, and integrated health and justice services, can reduce IPV by up to 50% over a decade. Yet these proven models remain chronically underfunded.
Nordic Exceptionalism Under Pressure
The Nordic region — long celebrated for its gender equality credentials — must confront uncomfortable truths. While Sweden, Finland, Norway, Denmark, and Iceland continue to lead in legal frameworks and public awareness, implementation gaps persist. Recent data from the European Union Agency for Fundamental Rights (FRA) shows that in 2024, 22% of women in the Nordic countries reported experiencing physical or sexual violence since age 15 — higher than the EU average in some indicators.
Moreover, the region’s commitment to international development aid, while strong in absolute terms, remains disproportionately allocated to infrastructure and education, with gender-based violence (GBV) programming receiving less than 1% of bilateral aid in most Nordic countries — well below the WHO’s recommended minimum of 5%.
New Analysis: The Hidden Costs and the Nordic Opportunity
Beyond human suffering, gender-based violence imposes staggering economic costs. The WHO estimates that IPV alone costs economies $1.5 trillion annually in lost productivity, healthcare, and criminal justice expenditures — equivalent to 2% of global GDP. For Nordic nations, where labour force participation by women is among the highest in the world, the economic toll of unaddressed violence threatens long-term competitiveness and social cohesion.
The Nordic model — built on trust, transparency, and data-driven policy — holds unique potential to lead a global turnaround. Here are three actionable priorities:
1. Double GBV Funding in Official Development Assistance (ODA): Nordic governments should commit to allocating at least 5% of ODA to GBV prevention and response by 2027 — aligning with WHO and UN Women targets. This includes funding for local women’s organizations in low- and middle-income countries, which are the most effective but least funded actors on the frontlines.
2. Mandate GBV Risk Assessments in All Foreign Policy and Climate Initiatives: As Nordic nations champion climate action and humanitarian aid, they must embed GBV risk assessments into every project — from refugee resettlement to renewable energy investments — recognizing that crises amplify violence against women.
3. Launch a Nordic GBV Innovation Fund: Establish a regional fund to scale proven interventions — such as Sweden’s “Men for Equality” programs and Finland’s digital support platforms — and share best practices across the region and with Global South partners.
Conclusion: Silence is Complicity
The persistence of gender-based violence is not inevitable — it is a choice. The WHO’s report is not merely a statistic; it is a call to action. For the Nordic countries, whose values of equity and human dignity are foundational to their identity, the path forward is clear: lead with ambition, fund with conviction, and measure progress with accountability.
The next 25 years must not look like the last. The world is watching. Nordic leadership must now be defined not by aspiration, but by measurable, transformative action.
— Nordic Business Journal, in collaboration with WHO and the Nordic Council of Ministers
Data Sources: WHO Global Report on Intimate Partner Violence and Sexual Violence Against Women (2025), UN Women Global Database on Violence Against Women, OECD Development Assistance Data (2024), FRA Gender-Based Violence Survey (2024).