Fact Sheet

What Is Sexual Violence?

People usually talk about sexual violence as defined by the law: attempted rape, forcible rape etc. That leaves out numerous other forms of sexual violence that virtually all women experience. Here we talk about sexual violence as defined by women. Though, sexual violence happens to men and children, the majority of victims of sexual violence are women. To undo violence against men and children, the first step is to undo violence against women. That’s why we talk about sexual violence against women from a woman's perspective. Learn more in "What is Sexual Violence?"