I grew up in a loving family, surrounded by the laughter of cousins and the comforting scent of my grandmother’s cooking. As a child, I was always very cheerful and creative. I loved to gather my cousins together and, using a blackboard they had given me, teach them what I learned at school.

Psychological abuse, although invisible to the naked eye, leaves deep scars that can affect a person’s life long after the abuse has occurred. Unlike physical wounds, which can heal with time and proper treatment, emotional and psychological wounds can persist for years, slowly eroding self-esteem, mental health, and the ability to lead a fulfilling and happy life.

UN Women calls on the world: “Invest in women, accelerate progress” as the best way to foster economic growth and build more prosperous and equal societies.

I know firsthand the piercing cold of fear and the isolation that domestic violence brings. The walls of the shelter offered temporary escape, but it was Santana Globally We Care (SGWC) that truly became my refuge. Here, support was not just a roof over my head; it was a warm embrace.

Violence against women and girls is a grave violation of human rights that has found a new battleground in the digital realm. The lack of a common definition of technology-facilitated violence impedes the collection of comparable data on a global scale, but available national and regional figures reveal an alarming incidence.

Six years old. A simple age that should evoke memories of carefree days and scraped knees. Instead, for me, it marked the beginning of a chilling reality. The day was not filled with sunshine, but with the sickening thud of a fist against flesh.It was the sound that became the soundtrack of my childhood: the sound of terror echoing through our home.