Section title Combating gender-based violence

AECID against violence towards women and girls worldwide.

Violence against women and girls constitutes a violation of human rights, adversely affects the well-being of women, and hinders their full participation in society. Women of all ages, in both public and private spheres, are harmed by these forms of violence, which manifest in various ways: sexual, physical, emotional or psychological, and economic, with femicide being its most appalling manifestation.

In this regard, the Declaration on the Elimination of Violence against Women in its Article 1 defines violence against women as "any act of gender-based violence that results in, or is likely to result in, physical, sexual, or psychological harm or suffering to women, including threats of such acts, coercion or arbitrary deprivation of liberty, whether occurring in public or in private life".

Law 1/2023, of February 20th, 2023, on Cooperation for Sustainable Development and Global Solidarity, establishes gender equality as one of its core principles, promoted from a feminist perspective. This is considered an essential, cross-cutting element of Spanish cooperation to reduce gender inequalities, intensify efforts to close gender gaps, combat all forms of violence and discrimination, promote the empowerment of women, girls, and adolescents, and strengthen their sexual and reproductive rights from a human rights and universal public health perspective.

Following international cooperation guidelines, AECID invests in projects aimed at eliminating gender-based violence against women and girls, analyzing these investments across all sectors of cooperation through specific projects and as an integral part of its overall activities.

In this way, AECID provides support to states in developing prevention, protection, and comprehensive care measures in the fight against gender-based violence, both through specific initiatives and as an integral part of its activities.