Over a quarter of women in the Western Pacific have experienced violence, prompting Australia to fund a five-year initiative to expand support and combat gender-based violence.

Violence against women and girls remains widespread in the Western Pacific, with over a quarter of women and girls experiencing intimate partner or sexual violence in their lifetime, according to the WHO. In the region, 9% of women aged 15 to 49 faced intimate partner violence in the past year, and up to half in some Pacific island nations reported lifetime abuse. The WHO calls it a persistent public health and human rights crisis, citing lasting harm and inadequate health system responses. Australia has pledged increased funding for a five-year initiative, Pacific Strong: PAVE, to expand survivor services across nine Pacific nations, supporting crisis centers and promoting Pacific-led solutions to reduce gender-based violence and strengthen community resilience.