At their most fundamental level, maps enable us to get the lay of the land through the visual communication of data. From education to industry, this function of mapping has been applied to a wide variety of topics to provide a clear visual overview of information that might otherwise be too voluminous to absorb in written or spoken formats. The field of violence against women (VAW) runs the gamut from VAW typologies to VAW activism to VAW research and this vastness is reflected in the fast-growing and complex mass of data about VAW that needs to be presented in an organised and structured way in order to have an impact. This is why maps are an invaluable tool in the global battle against VAW as they provide “an overview of both the nature and scale of the prevalence of violence against women in its various forms, and the existing and lacking interventions to address it.” (Rights for Change and Margreet de Boer)
When The Pixel Project began our search for maps about VAW, it became clear that global organisations such as UN Women and the WomanStats Project are the most consistent at producing accessible maps that inventory and structure their main findings about VAW. Additionally, there are also a number of individual activists, media and grassroots organisations across the world who map the VAW data that they have gathered as part of their work to end VAW in their countries or regions.
What is striking is that it was a challenge to locate regional or country-specific maps (particularly for Asia). Therefore, most of the 16 maps listed are focused on global VAW information. It has also been difficult to find maps that are up-to-date. There are three possible reasons for this dearth of maps: first, there is still a lack of research, data and analysis in many areas of VAW; second, when there is a wealth of data available, organisations and grassroots groups may not have the expertise, resources and tools to properly map their data or they may take years to raise the funding needed to make map projects a reality; third, there may be concerns about women’s safety and security and victims’ privacy that prevent organisations from sharing it in any form.
Nevertheless we hope that the maps and resources featured will shed some light on the prevalence and repercussions of the various types of VAW throughout the world, and that some of you reading this will be inspired to help contribute to the activism and research needed to create such maps as part of the movement to eradicate VAW.
Note: The main articles or reports from which these maps have been sourced can be directly accessed via the hyperlinked titles. Please do click through to see the full-sized maps and to learn more about them and the research and/or activism behind them.
Introduction by Sharmila Ganapathy and Regina Yau. Written by Anushia Kandasivam and Sharmila Ganapathy with additional content by Regina Yau. Research by Anushia Kandasivam, Regina Yau, and Sharmila Ganapathy.
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Maps Against VAW #1: Child Marriage Prevalence Map by Girls Not Brides – Worldwide
Girls Not Brides is an organisation comprising over 1400 civil society member organisations in over 100 countries working collectively to end child, early and forced marriages and unions (CEFMU) so that girls can fulfil their potential. As part of their commitment to providing educational and awareness-raising materials in various formats, they created a searchable child marriage prevalence map which shows the top 20 countries with the highest prevalence of child marriages. The map also indicates whether there are any Girls Not Brides member organisations actively working in those countries.
Maps Against VAW #2: Estimate of Marital Rape Victimisation Map by The WomenStats Project – Worldwide
The US-based WomanStats Project led by Texas A&M University maintains a database of statistics about women and an extensive collection of maps about various types of violence against women including a 2015 map showing an estimate of the rates of marital rape victimisation worldwide. In most of the countries on the map (red zones), marital rape is highly prevalent, while the yellow zone denotes countries where marital rape is not uncommon, but not highly prevalent. Only one country (green zone) had incidents of rare or infrequent marital rape.
Maps Against VAW #3: Femicide Map of Iran by Stop Femicide Iran – Iran
Stop Femicide Iran.org has mapped femicide in the country across three years spanning 2021-2023. Their interactive maps enable readers to search by crime, age, reason and relationship. The organisation also produced a 2023 report and analysis of 191 femicides in Iran which they point out equates to one killing every other day at an average of 16 cases a month. Victims are mainly young women between the ages of 20 and 35. Among other findings in the report: in 75% of cases, the perpetrators were known by the victims and child marriage puts women at high risk of femicide.
Maps Against VAW #4: Femicide Map of Türkiye by Ceyda Ulukaya – Türkiye
Created by journalist Ceyda Ulukaya, this femicide map visually lists the number of femicides across Türkiye during the decade spanning 2010 – 2020. Ulukaya’s project was a finalist in the Small Newsroom category of the 2016 Data Journalism Awards. Think tank OBCT interviewed Ulukaya in 2018, where she said: “The press reports these murders as single, tragic events, but when we look at them together, a pattern emerges. These killings all resemble each other, they have similar pretexts and perpetrators, which mostly belong to the family circle of the victims.”
Maps Against VAW #5: Femplatz Map of Femicide in West Balkans Countries by UN Women – The West Balkans
UN Women launched the first femicide interactive map for Albania, Montenegro and Serbia in 2022 to track data on femicides in these countries as well as help monitor femicide in the region. The related 2022 study by UNODC and UN Women, Gender-related killings of women and girls: Improving data to improve responses to femicide/feminicide, shows that, on average, more than five women or girls in this region were killed every hour by someone in their own family in 2021.
Maps Against VAW #6: Global Database Map on the Prevalence of Violence Against Women by the World Health Organization – Worldwide
The World Health Organization’s Global Database on Prevalence of Violence against Women focuses on two of the most common forms of VAW globally: intimate partner violence and sexual violence by someone other than a partner (non-partner sexual violence). This map is a dynamic and interactive data visualisation tool that allows users to view global, regional and country/area estimates on intimate partner violence and global and regional estimates on non-partner violence. As this map and database are particularly comprehensive and complex, we recommend checking out the ‘How to’ guide before you use them.
Maps Against VAW #7: Intimate Partner Abuse Map by Al Jazeera – Worldwide
In an infographic news feature mapping violence against women, Al Jazeera produced a global map on intimate partner abuse based on data from a 2021 report published by the World Health Organisation and the United Nations. The report shows that nearly 1 in 3 women have been physically, sexually or emotionally abused by their current or former partner at least once in their life. A sample of the hard facts from the report: data analysed by UN Women show that the situation is worst in Afghanistan,where nearly 34% of women and girls above 15 have been abused by a partner and that 5 of the 10 countries where women and girls are abused the most are in Africa.
Maps Against VAW #8: Intimate Partner Violence Map by the Global Burden of Disease Report – Worldwide
This map, which shows the global incidences of intimate partner violence by age, is part of the Global Burden of Disease (GBD) report 2021*. Globally, almost 1 in 3 women who have ever had partners have experienced physical and/or sexual intimate partner violence in their lifetime and the GBD report classes intimate partner violence as a Level 2 risk (out of four levels) in terms of global public health. What is striking about this map is that it clearly shows that intimate partner violence occurs in most, if not all, countries worldwide. The research shows that intimate partner violence – along with childhood sexual abuse – is one of “the most prevalent and pernicious forms of violence, associated with substantial morbidity and mortality”.
* The factsheet accompanying the map was last updated in May 2024.
Maps Against VAW #9: Laws Concerning Child Marriage for Girls Map by The WomenStats Project – Worldwide
This WomanStats Project’s 2020 map of laws concerning child marriage for girls shows the countries where marriage under the age of 18 is illegal/granted under judicial approval, is not legal but lacks government enforcement, and where marriage under the age of 18 is legal.
Maps Against VAW #10: Overall Adequacy of Domestic Violence Law Map by The WomenStats Project – Worldwide
This WomanStats Project’s 2020 global map of the overall adequacy of domestic violence laws shows that much of the world has no domestic violence laws at all, and that this mostly includes the developing world. Developed countries, on the other hand, appear to have wholly or mostly adequate laws in place to tackle domestic violence. The map also indicates that there are a number of countries that do have domestic laws but they have mild to major deficiencies which, in turn, hampers their effectiveness.
Maps Against VAW #11: Sexual Violence Map from the Global Burden of Disease Report 2021 – Worldwide
This map from the Global Burden of Disease 2021 report* depicts sexual violence across the globe as a Level 4 cause of disease, injury and impairment. In 2021, sexual violence occurred in almost twice the number of the global female population compared to the male population, with the highest prevalence per capita in women aged 20-25 in Oceania. This map shows the disability-adjusted life year (DALY) rates per 100,000 by location. DALY is the time-based measure that combines years of life lost due to premature mortality and years of life lost due to disability or living in less than full health.
* The factsheet accompanying the map was last updated in May 2024.
Maps Against VAW #12: Trafficking of Women Map by The WomenStats Project – Worldwide
The WomanStats Project recognises the global problem of the trafficking of women in its 2024 global map. A quick perusal of the map reveals that the majority of countries still experience trafficking, to different degrees. Trafficking is not illegal and commonly practised in many countries (red zones), while in others (orange and yellow zones), the trafficking of women is illegal or limitedly legal but still commonly practised.
Maps Against VAW #13: Violence Against Women Art Map by Dr Lauren Stetz – Worldwide
Dr. Lauren Stetz conceptualised the Violence Against Women Art Map in 2018, in the wake of the #MeToo movement, as part of her doctoral research in Art Education with a minor in Women’s, Gender & Sexuality Studies at Penn State University. This unique map highlights how combatting VAW connects artists globally by spotlighting themes related to VAW such as vulnerability, shame and victim-blaming, and law and government. This project grew from a single map into a website that aims to build an artist coalition in response to VAW, as well as to provide educational materials for art activism and the prevention of VAW.
Maps Against VAW #14: Violence Against Women Regional Snapshot Map by the UNFPA – Asia Pacific
This map and factsheet by the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) Asia and the Pacific measured the prevalence of VAW in the Asia-Pacific region in 2022. The study captured data from women who disclosed physical or sexual violence or both by an intimate partner in their lifetime and in the last 12 months from the study, showing shockingly high percentages across the region. The data also shows that in most countries in the region, women are much more likely to have experienced intimate partner violence than to have experienced physical or sexual violence by someone other than a partner.
Maps Against VAW #15: Women’s Mobility Map by The WomenStats Project – Worldwide
In a 2022 global map focusing on sexual harassment, the WomanStats Project highlights that in most countries, women are typically harassed when in public places. In some countries, women still need permission from family members to enter public places and in others, they need male escorts to enter public places. The red zone countries are the worst, with government law regulating women’s movement in public places.
Maps Against VAW #16: World Female Genital Mutilation Map by the National FGM Centre UK – Worldwide
The National FGM Centre UK has created an interactive world map of research and the prevalent rates of female genital mutilation (FGM) (downloadable here) throughout the world. The organisation also provides a FGM e-learning course, as part of its educational outreach work on FGM.
The Top Photo is a Creative Commons image by Andrew Neel from Pexels.
Map Visual Credits:
- Child Marriage Prevalence Map by Girls Not Brides – From Girls Not Brides
- Estimate of Marital Rape Victimisation Map by the WomanStats Project – From WomanStats Project
- Femicide Map of Iran by Stop Femicide Iran – From Stop Femicide Iran.Org
- Femicide Map of Türkiye by Ceyda Ulukaya – From the Kadin Cinayetleri website
- Femplatz Map of Femicide in West Balkans Countries by UN Women – From UN Women
- Global Database on the Prevalence of Violence Against Women by the World Health Organization – From World Health Organization Global Database on the Prevalence of Violence against Women
- Intimate Partner Abuse Map by Al Jazeera – From Al Jazeera
- Intimate Partner Violence Map by the Global Burden of Disease Report – From Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation
- Laws Concerning Child Marriages for Girls Map by The WomanStats Project – From WomanStats Project
- Overall Adequacy of Domestic Violence Law Map by The WomanStats Project – From WomanStats Project
- Sexual Violence Map from the Global Burden of Disease Report 2021 – From Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation
- Trafficking of Women Map by The WomanStats Project – From WomanStats Project
- Violence Against Women Art Map by Dr Lauren Stetz – From Violence Against Women Art Map
- Violence Against Women Regional Snapshot Map by the UNFPA – From UNFPA Asia Pacific
- Women’s Mobility Map by The WomanStats Project – From WomanStats Project
- World Female Genital Mutilation Map by the National FGM Centre UK – From The National FGM Centre UK