The rate of violence against women and children is rising at an alarming rate. While advocacy efforts primarily focus on the prevalence of familial and intimate partner violence, we know that state violence is the number one perpetrator of violence against women and children. As women often take on the roll of raising families and educating their children, their struggles are linked and inseparable. If women are experiencing violence, so too are children, and vice versa. To address systematic violence against women and children, we must address the root causes of violence which keep women and children vulnerable, and we must unite with many different organizations to build a broad movement of women and children's organizations that can meaningfully change their conditions and win a better future.

Given the all out crisis in the world today, the task of addressing violence against women and children in all its forms must be taken up militantly. The UN’s Gender Snapshot 2025 reported that 756.1million (18.8%) of women and girls globally live within 50km of at least one armed conflict event, an increase of over 10% from the previous year's figure of 676 million. The sharp increase of women and girls being exposed to armed conflicts is directly tied to the increase of US militarization and influence around the world. In 2025-2026 the US has already dropped bombs on Venezuela, Nigeria, Syria, Yemen, Somalia, Iraq, and Iran which targeted civilians and led to political instability that continues to perpetuate violence against women and children. Reports have found that over 230,000 civilians around the world were killed in conflict-related violence in the past 12 months with the majority concentrated in Ukraine, Iran, Nigeria, Sudan and Myanmar. Of the 230,000 killed, over one third of the fatalities were from foreign military engagement.

Children are also susceptible to violence in the home and in society. Violence against children in any form is a violation of their humanitarian rights. Globally, children face sexual violence, exploitation, trafficking, neglect, denial of education and other forms of abuse. Children in conflict and humanitarian crises are even more vulnerable to all of these. According to a UN Annual Report of the Secretary General on Children and Armed Conflict, the number of children killed in conflict soared to at least 6,266 in 2025, a 34% increase from 2024, with the increased use of high-tech explosive weapons as a major factor in driving the upward trend. According the report, the highest numbers of grave violations were verified in Palestine (12,445), the Democratic Republic of the Congo (4,114) and Nigeria (2,560). Migrant children are separated from their families and detained in concentration camps, their access to education, social services, and safe living conditions is denied and paraded by fascist governments as progress.

For the first in time 30 years, reports are showing the main perpetrators of this violence towards children are government forces who have complete disregard for the cost of children's lives and for international humanitarian law. This shows that state violence is the biggest perpetrator of violence for both women and children, especially those who are vulnerable due to poverty, landlessness, and migration status.

As startling as these statistics are, they are likely all under-reported or missing important data from parts of the world. Many incidents go unreported to the United Nations due to bureaucracy, fear and bias. These UN reports paint a clear picture of how the situation for women and children's safety is worsening under the neoliberal global system.

As part of our ongoing work to expose the rampant and escalating violence that women and children are experiencing, the International Women's Alliance calls on all members and allies to take up this year's campaign call: "Women Unite to End Violence Against Women and Children, Fight Imperialism!" during our 10 Days of Action from November 20 - November 29. We will begin our 10 Days of Action on November 20 (World Children’s Day), and culminating on November 29 (International Women Human Rights Defenders Day), we connect the defense of children’s rights with the struggle to end violence against women.