Evidence shows that gender-based violence (GBV) significantly contributes to HIV acquisition among women, with both GBV and HIV rooted in systemic gender inequality. In the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region, approximately 40% of adults living with HIV are women, with the primary mode of transmission being sexual contact.
At the same time, an estimated 35.4% of women in the region experience gender-based violence by an intimate partner and/or another person during their lifetime. While all women are at risk of violence, those with multiple and overlapping vulnerabilities face heightened exposure and barriers to protection.
Women living with HIV, lesbian, bisexual and transgender women, sex workers, women who use drugs, migrant women, and women with disabilities experience disproportionate levels of stigma, discrimination, and criminalisation. These intersecting vulnerabilities severely limit their access to healthcare, justice, and social support services—further entrenching cycles of inequality, violence, and risk of HIV.
