There’s a saying I’ve heard a few times in the not-for-profit sector about how the goal of a charity is to do itself out of a job: to cure the disease, save the endangered species, or ensure every child has access to schooling. And this is no different for us at Press Red as we work towards our vision of a “world in which no individual, society, or culture accepts abuse and violence against women, and where they can live full and meaningful lives in safety and security.” But what would such a world look like? What would happen if we had women living free from fear, oppression, and restriction applied as a result of gender?

The most immediate change would be for the individual. We know, for example, that there are higher rates of depression in women who have experienced violence, and that levels of female death by suicide in Bangladesh are thought to be particularly high due to the abuse women suffer there. The women I’ve talked to as a result of this job are also a testament to the mental, emotional, and spiritual burden abuse places on someone, as well as the impact it can have on their children and families. Imagine the effect on these women of a life free from violence.

The changes would also spread beyond the individual. The UN explains how each act of violence against a women in India results in a loss of an average of five paid work-days, and that the average earnings of a women suffering abuse from an intimate partner are 60% lower than women who are not: ending VAW would, therefore, provide women and their families with better incomes. Imagine the benefits this would bring, particularly in developing countries.

We must also realise that ending VAW is needed for our societies as a whole: Care International discovered last year that VAW costs upward of 2% of global GDP annually. Imagine how this money could be better spent.

If we eliminated violence against women, we wouldn’t just be ending violence, we’d be creating better futures for women, their families, and their communities and societies. So please stand with us, help us to turn the silence off, and Press Red on violence and abuse against women.