Key Facts and Figures on Sexism and Sexual Violence

When addressing sexism and sexual violence, it is important to have serious and sourced facts and figures. Why? To understand and show that sexism and sexual violence are still very much present and occurring systematically globally. 

This image shows four women holding scorecards with numbers: 95, 100, 96, and 84. They wear purple scarves.
  • 500 million That’s the number of women and girls lacking proper menstrual hygiene facilities.
  • x 5 times more That’s how much research is conducted into erectile dysfunction compared to premenstrual syndrome. This is staggering considering that 19% of men are affected by erectile dysfunction, while 90% of women have premenstrual syndrome.
  • £20 billion per year – that’s how much neglecting women’s health in the workplace costs the UK economy.
  • Only 8% of women in the UK feel they have access to enough information about reproductive health conditions.
  • 62% of women in the UK report their pain being ignored or dismissed by healthcare professionals.
  • 68% of boys around the world say a wide variety of body shapes are beautiful.
  • 65% of boys around the world believe a person’s inner spirit can change how they see physical beauty.
  • 90% of girls around the world define real beauty as being authentic, embracing who you are — flaws and all.
  • 69% of boys around the world believe everyone has something beautiful about them.
  • 72% of women around the world believe everyone has something beautiful about them.
  • 67% of women around the world believe a person’s soul or inner spirit can change how they see someone’s physical beauty.
  • 73% of women around the world believe advertising promotes unrealistic beauty standards.
  • 66% of women around the world say only the most attractive women are shown in pop culture.
  • 62% of women around the world feel misrepresented in gaming.
  • 41% of women around the world feel avatars in video games or virtual reality negatively impact how people feel about their appearance.
  • 48% of women around the world feel bad comparing themselves to friends on social media.
  • 1 in 2 men around the world feel pressured by influencers to use cosmetic procedures to change their appearance.
  • 2 in 5 girls around the world feel pressured by influencers to change their appearance.
  • 6 in 10 women around the world feel they must show their “best self” online.
  • 1 in 2 men around the world feel they must show their “best self” online.
  • 1 in 3 women and girls around the world feel online content makes them want to change how they look.
  • 2 in 3 women and girls around the world agree that social media creates pressure to look a certain way.
  • 60% of men and boys around the world have missed a social event because of how they felt about their appearance.
  • 59% of women of colour around the world wish they had straighter hair.
  • 10% of women around the world have tried skin lightening or bleaching products.
  • Almost 1 in 2 women of color around the world wish their skin was lighter.
  • 41% of LGBT+ people around the world feel judged based on how they look.
  • 43% of plus-sized women around the world feel people judge them based on how they look.
  • 32% of girls around the world would rather spend money on their appearance than on going out and socialising.
  • 19% of women around the world spend more on their appearance each month than on groceries.
  • 3 in 10 girls around the world would give up good grades to be considered beautiful.
  • 1 in 5 women around the world would give up their dream job to reach their beauty ideal.
  • 1 in 5 men around the world would be willing to become 25% less intelligent if it meant being 25% more attractive.
  • 1 in 5 women around the world would give up five years of life to reach their beauty ideal.
  • 56% of men around the world have put their health at risk because they didn’t feel good about the way they looked.
  • 45% of women around the world have tried dieting.
  • 34% of men around the world have skipped meals or restricted food to change how they look.
  • 57% of women around the world feel pressure to be curvy.
  • 79% of men around the world feel they are not muscular enough.
  • 64% of women around the world feel pressure to have a small waist.
  • 66% of women around the world feel pressure to look young.
  • 65% of men around the world wish they were taller.
  • 68% of women around the world feel pressure to be slim or thin.
  • 68% of men around the world feel pressure to be physically attractive.
  • 76% of women around the world feel pressure to look healthy.
  • Transition leave remains legally unrecognised, though more employers are offering it in the Netherlands in 2024.
  • Most hate speech targeting intersex people was reported as coming from medical professionals in Greece in 2024.
  • New rights to period- and abortion-related sick leave were introduced in Spain in 2024.
  • Marriage equality was introduced for the first time in a Baltic country in Estonia in 2024.
  • only 1% of the population sees trans questions as a deciding factor in the elections in the UK in 2024.
  • 1,000+ homophobic hate crimes were recorded in Germany in 2024, a 15% increase from 2021.
  • 50% of media coverage about trans people included transphobic content in France in 2024.
  • 30% of LGBTI students dropped out in Albania in 2024.
  • 400 LGBT youth were kicked out of home in Italy in 2024.
  • 75% of LGBTI+ people believe they have fewer professional opportunities in Spain in 2024.
  • 185% rise in anti-LGBTI hate online in Portugal between 2019 and 2022.
  • 21% → 32% increase in public support for equal marriage over 10 years in Poland in 2024.
  • 749 same-sex marriages and 2,200+ partnership conversions were recorded in Switzerland in 2024.
  • 96% of LGBTI asylum claims were rejected in Sweden in 2024.
  • only 6 out of 54 countries reported no hate crimes in 2023. Trans people were most targeted.
  • 1,016 anti-LGBT hate crimes were reported including 602 violent attacks in 35 countries in 2022.
  • 77% of students and recent graduates worldwide would avoid employers that recently withdrew support for the LGBTQ+ community.
  • 3 in 4 LGBTQ+ students and recent graduates worldwide would avoid working for a company where they couldn’t be out.
  • 8 in 10 LGBTQ+ students and recent graduates worldwide fear their identity may limit access to leadership roles.
  • 1 in 3 LGBTQ+ students and recent graduates worldwide say their university lacks LGBTQ+ inclusion training or policies.
  • 40% of students and recent graduates of colour worldwide have faced discrimination at school or work compared to 30% of their White peers.
  • 48% of students and recent graduates worldwide have witnessed discrimination at school or work.
  • 36% of students and recent graduates worldwide identify as LGBTQ+.
  • 62% of women in the UK report their pain being ignored or dismissed by healthcare professionals.
  • 2 million This is the number of girls who missed school due to their periods in the UK in 2021.
  • 70% of women with endometriosis in the UK visit GPs at least five times before being diagnosed.
  • 1 in 3 women live with heavy menstrual bleeding, significantly affecting their daily lives.
  • 1 in 10 UK women suffers from endometriosis, yet diagnosis takes an average of nearly 8 years.
  • 54% of harassment victims said harassment affected their quality of life.
  • only 52% of rape or attempted rape victims report the attack.
  • only 1 in 3 victims report sexual harassment.
  • 49% of people from an ethnic minority (excluding white minorities) experienced sexual harassment in the past year, compared to 42% of white people.
  • 47% of people with highly limiting disabilities in the UK experienced sexual harassment in the past year.
  • 64% of LGB people in the UK experienced sexual harassment in the past year compared to 42% heterosexual people.
  • 71% of 16–24 yo in the UK experienced sexual harassment in the past year.
  • 51% of women in the UK experienced sexual harassment in the past year compared to 34% of men.
  • The three most commonly experienced sexual harassment behaviours are sexual jokes staring or looks sexual comments
  • 3 in 4 people in the UK have experienced sexual harassment.
  • 1 in 4 UK women aged 16–24 experienced sexual harassment in the past year.
  • 1 in 4 sexual harassment victims experienced it at work.
  • 20% of 16–19 yo 21% of 20–24 yo 8% of 35+ yo experienced harassment in the past year in the UK. Young adults face higher rates of harassment.
  • 13% women in the UK experienced harassment in the past year compared to 7% of men.
  • 1 in 10 people in the UK experienced harassment in the past year.
  • 8 arguments / month that’s what happens when one person does all the chores
  • 22% of people in the UK feel resentful when they’re solely responsible for the household load.
  • 5 arguments / month that’s how often unequal chores lead to conflict
  • 30 hours / week that’s how much housework people in full-time jobs do, nearly as much as those not in paid work. It’s not about time — it’s about gender.
  • Women have more responsibility for 10 out of 14 household tasks than men.
  • Men are 2 times more likely to do the gardening than women.
  • Men are 12 times more likely to handle car maintenance than women.
  • Mums have more responsibility for 12 out of 13 different aspects of childcare than dads.
  • Women are 6 times more likely to take on the laundry than men.
  • Women are 5 times more likely to do the cleaning than men.
  • 7 in 10 mums feel guilty about taking personal time.
  • 7 hours more / week That’s the gender gap in household tasks for women compared to men, equal to a full workday.
  • 54 mn more / day That’s the extra unpaid work women do compared to men.
  • 36 hours / week That’s how long women spend on housework, the same as a full-time job.
  • 72% of women say they do the majority of household tasks.
  • Only 1 in 3 schools worldwide provides bins in girls' toilets for menstrual waste disposal.
  • Only 2 in 5 schools worldwide offer menstrual health education.
  • 74% of women killed by men in the UK in 2021 were killed in their own homes.
  • 52% of women killed by a partner or former partner in the UK in 2021 were taking steps towards leaving or had left the relationship.
  • 53% of women killed by men in the UK in 2021 were murdered by a current or former partner.
  • A woman is killed by a man every three days in the UK.
  • The number of women and girls killed by men every year in the UK remains depressingly consistent.
  • 142 It’s the average number of women and girls killed annually by men since 2009 in the UK.
  • 147 It’s the number of women who were killed by men in 2021 in the UK.
  • 83% of people with disabilities will experience sexual violence in their lifetime.
  • x3 People with disabilities are 3 times more at risk to be victims of sexual violence.
  • 1 in 4 Black women in the US has felt invisible or like her accomplishments didn’t get noticed at work.
  • 1 in 3 women with disabilities in the US has felt invisible or like her accomplishments didn’t get noticed at work.
  • 1 in 5 women in the US says flexibility has helped her stay in her organisation or avoid reducing her hours.
  • Women who experience microaggressions and hold back to avoid them are three times more likely to think about quitting and four times more likely to feel burned out.
  • 80% of women in the US want to be promoted to the next level within the year, up from 70% in 2019.
  • 1 in 4 American women under 30 says her age has cost her a promotion or raise.
  • Only 1% of top executives in the US are Latina.
  • Only 1 in 16 top executives in the US is a woman of colour.
  • For every 100 men promoted to manager, only 87 women and just 73 women of color get the same opportunity in the US.
  • 63% of the people dating in the UK are more concerned with emotional maturity than physical looks.
  • 80% of 18 to 25-year-olds say that their own self-care is a top priority when dating and 79% want their partners to feel the same.
  • 75% of young singles find someone more attractive if they are willing to work on their mental well-being.
  • 85% of online dating rape victims are women.
  • 1 in 2 adults in the UK thinks that friendships and associations with other people in their community means a lot to them.
  • 1 in 2 people in a relationship feels the most loved when their partner acknowledges their emotions.
  • 1 in 4 LGBTQ+ and Black women have felt invisible or like their accomplishments didn’t get noticed at work.
  • People with positive relationships are 1.5 times as likely to live long lives.
  • 7,660 that’s the total number of reports of romance fraud cases in England and Wales in 2023.
  • The Guardian just released a new investigation! JUSTICE IS LETTING WOMEN DOWN. WE DEMAND BETTER JUSTICE FOR SEXUAL CRIMES!
  • Only 11% of all violent or sexual cases were closed after a suspect was caught or charged in England and Wales in 2024. That’s half the proportion it was seven years earlier.
  • 60% of all rape investigations are closed before prosecution because the alleged victim no longer supports police action, up from 43% nine years earlier. The Guardian, 13th January 2025 Most violent or sexual offences went unsolved in UK crime hotsp
  • the number of alleged rape victims pulling out of prosecutions before trial has more than doubled in five years. The Guardian, 13th January 2025 Most violent or sexual offences went unsolved in UK crime hotspots last year
  • Here are some of the key reasons why victims of sexual violence in the UK withdraw from prosecution: a lengthy and emotionally exhausting legal process a lack of support from law enforcement a lack of access to specialised counseling services the
  • 432 days That’s the time an average rape investigation takes to results in a charge or summons – compared with 55 days for violence against the person, or 28 days for theft. The Guardian, 13th January 2025 Most violent or sexual offences went unsolv
  • "Victims face a 'disparity' of policing across the country." The Guardian, 13th January 2025 Most violent or sexual offences went unsolved in UK crime hotspots last year
  • "It is completely unacceptable that fewer and fewer violent and sexual crimes are being solved, with more victims being let down time and time again." — Jess Phillips, the minister for safeguarding and violence against women and girls The Guardian
  • 1in2 women in the UK feels unsafe walking in a park 1
  • 1in2 women in the UK feels unsafe walking in a park 2
  • A woman involved in a car crash is 47% more likely to be injured
  • Smartphones are too big for women's hand 1
  • Smartphones are too big for women's hand 2
  • Siri can find prostitues and viagra but not abortion providers
  • 2.3 times as long as men to use the toilet 2
  • Women take up to 2.3 times as long as men to use the toilet 1
  • Google voice recognition is 70% more likely to recognise male speech
  • Offices are 5 degrees too cold for women 1
  • Offices are 5 degrees too cold for women 2
  • Rising numbers of women are experiencing domestic abuse at Christmas
  • 85% women say they do most of the Christmas tasks
  • 1 in 5 who does the majority of Christmas chores feels taken for granted
  • 1 in 3 man agrees his female partner does the most work at Christmas
  • At Christmas, women are more likely to buy presents than men
  • At Christmas, men take the lead on just 4 tasks 1
  • At Christmas, men take the lead on just 4 tasks 2
  • At Christmas, men take the lead on just 4 tasks 3
  • At Christmas, men take the lead on just 4 tasks 4
  • At Christmas, men take the lead on just 4 tasks 5
  • At Christmas, women are more likely to write Christmas cards than men
  • At Christmas, women are more likely to wrap presents than men
  • At Christmas, women are more likely to plan Christmas diner than men
  • At Christmas, women are more likely to cook Christmas dinner than men
  • At Christmas, women are more likely to leave out treats for Santa Claus than men
  • At Christmas, women are more likely to buy the tree and decoration than men
  • It takes 7 attempts to leave an abusive partner for good
  • 1 in 3 researchers is a woman
  • Fewer than 1% of GCSE students study a book by a writer of colour
  • 1 in 2 female students and 1 in 4 male students have witnessed someone being treated differently because of their gender
  • 14% of students who have experienced sexual harassement reported it to a teacher
  • 1 in 3 primary school teachers witness gender stereotyping in their school on at least a weekly basis
  • 36% of 11-17yo have learned about sexual consent
  • Sexual assault is higher among full-time students than any other occupation
  • 70% of female teachers have faced misogyny in schools
  • 29% of 16-18yo girls experienced unwanted sexual touching at school
  • 71% of 16-18yo say they hear terms such as slut or slag on a regular basis
  • The percentage of girls that completed primary education increased to 89%
  • Are men more likely to be taller or earn more than women 1
  • Are men more likely to be taller or earn more than women 2
  • Are men more likely to be taller or earn more than women 3
  • Are women more likely to have brown eyes or to have been raped 1
  • Are women more likely to have brown eyes or to have been raped 2
  • Are women more likely to have brown eyes or to have been raped 3
  • Are women more likely to never have had a one-night stand or to have been harassed at work 1
  • Are women more likely to never have had a one-night stand or to have been harassed at work 2
  • Are women more likely to never have had a one-night stand or to have been harassed at work 3
  • Are you more likely to sleep with a stuffed animal or a dangerous partner 1
  • Are you more likely to sleep with a stuffed animal or a dangerous partner 2
  • Are you more likely to sleep with a stuffed animal or a dangerous partner 3
  • 3 in 4 girls and young women actively avoid activities due to fear of public sexual harassement during the summer
  • 42% of girls and young women avoid wearing an outfit that keeps them cool in hot weather due to fear of public sexual harassement
  • 59% of girls and young women say public harassement surges in summer
  • only 30% of the women in the current cabinet are women
  • Only 56% of LGBT people feel comfortable being LGBT in the UK
  • Over 2 in 5 trans people avoid certain streets because they don't feel safe as LGBT.