Women’s History Month is a time of celebration. We honour pioneers, changemakers, leaders, artists, scientists, mothers, daughters, and visionaries who have shaped our communities and our world. We tell stories of resilience and achievement that were too often ignored or erased. We amplify voices that refused to be silenced.
Women’s History Month is also a time for truth. Woven through women’s history, across countries, cultures, and centuries, is another reality: the persistent, pervasive experience of violence against women and girls. We must therefore also confront the systems and behaviours that continue to endanger women’s lives.
Domestic violence, coercive control, sexual abuse, trafficking, so-called “honour”-based abuse, online exploitation, and harassment are not new problems or isolated incidents. They are deeply rooted in power imbalances that have shaped societies for generations.
For centuries, violence within the home was dismissed as a “private matter.” Marital rape was legal in many countries until shockingly recently. Women were denied legal protection, financial independence, and credibility. Girls were taught silence instead of safety.
We must recognise that progress did not happen accidentally. Every legal protection, every refuge, every helpline, every safeguarding policy exists because women, and allies, demanded change.
And that work is still ongoing.
Violence against women and girls (VAWG) remains one of the most widespread human rights violations globally. It cuts across race, class, religion, age, disability, and geography. It happens in homes, workplaces, schools, and online spaces.
For too many girls, the first experiences of harassment and intimidation begin in childhood or adolescence, sadly shaping how they move through the world, and how safe they feel.
When we celebrate women’s contributions today, we must also ask:
- Are women safe in their homes?
- Are girls safe in their schools?
- Are survivors believed?
- Are systems designed to protect, or to doubt?
From the recent anniversary of Sarah Everard’s murder to the Pélicot trial or the apparent impunity of those named in the Epstein files, the additional questions we must ask ourselves are “Why did he/they feel entitled to harm?” and “What systems allowed it to continue?”
Ending violence against women and girls is not solely the responsibility of survivors. It requires cultural change.
That means:
- Challenging sexist jokes and language
- Teaching boys about consent, respect, and emotional literacy
- Believing women when they disclose harm
- Supporting organisations that provide refuge and advocacy
- Ensuring workplace policies protect victims of domestic abuse
- Designing public services with safeguarding at the centre.
It also means recognising that violence thrives in silence. Awareness is not enough, accountability is essential.
There is hope.
Rates of reporting are increasing in many places because stigma is being challenged. Conversations about coercive control are entering mainstream understanding. Young people are questioning harmful norms earlier. Laws are evolving. Survivor voices are shaping policy.
Every generation of women has pushed the line forward. Women’s History Month reminds us that history is not something that just happens. It is something people build, often at great personal cost. Because honouring women’s history means refusing to accept violence as part of it.
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