Violence Against Women and Children​

Violence affects millions of women and children around the world. Those living in poverty are some of the most vulnerable to a range of everyday forms of violence—including sexual violence and domestic violence. When a man assaults his wife or partner, it’s seen as a “family matter” handled inside the home instead of reported to authorities. Sexual violence against children is frequent, and courts are ill-equipped to handle these cases and can’t respond when these women and children desperately need protection.

Our Community Protection Model

When a justice system fails, victims often do not report crimes because they have little or no confidence that it can help and protect them. In countries with unreliable justice systems, perpetrators continue to commit sexual violence because they face no consequences under the law. But when abusers are forced to face the consequences of their actions, they think twice about committing their crimes.​

We help restore survivors of violence, build justice system capacity to identify and restrain offenders, and assist local authorities’ efforts to prosecute and hold them accountable.

Our goal is to prevent violence from happening in the first place. That’s why IJM and our partners pursue sustainable improvements in local justice systems and build communities where all people can expect to be safe and protected.

Our Global Impact