Violence against women encompasses a subset of family and intimate violence including threatening or actual use of physical, psychological or sexual abuse against a woman by her family members or other intimates. Commonly referenced behaviors included within the broad category of violence against women include;

Infancy: Female infanticide; emotional, sexual and physical abuse; differential access to food and medical care.

Girlhood: Child marriage; female genital mutilation; sexual and psychological abuse by relatives or strangers; differential access to food and medical care; child prostitution and pornography.

Adolescence: Dating and courtship violence; economically coerced sex; incest; sexual abuse in the workplace; sexual harassment; rape, marital rape; forced prostitution and pornography; trafficking; forced pregnancy.

Reproductive Age: Abuse by intimate male partners, marital rape; dowry abuse and murder; partner homicide; psychological abuse; sexual abuse in the workplace; sexual harassment; rape; forced prostitution and pornography; trafficking; abuse of women with disabilities.

Elderly: Sexual, psychological and physical abuse.