Includes bibliographical references (pages 260-268) and index.

Introduction : naming the problem -- A global pandemic -- Violence begins before birth : selective abortion and infanticide -- Cut for purity : female genital mutilation -- Early and enforced marriage : child abuse by another name -- Whose 'honour'? : killings and femicide as reprisals for shame -- Nowhere to run, nowhere to hide : violence in the home -- Money, sex and violence : trafficking and prostitution -- Rape -- War and sexual violence -- Why gender-based violence? : it's in our genes : exploring our evolutionary heritage -- Why gender-based violence? : power and patriarchy -- Religion and women -- Christianity and gender : a fuller picture.

Every three seconds, a girl under the age of 18 is married somewhere across the world usually without her consent and sometimes to a much older man. Combining rigorous research and compelling personal testimonies, Elaine Storkey investigates the different forms of violence experienced by women across the globe today. From female infanticide and child brides to domestic abuse, prostitution, rape and honour killings, violence against women occurs at all stages of life, and in all cultures and societies. How and why has this violence become so prevalent? Storkey examines the answers that are commonly offered, including theories based on evolutionary psychology and the rise of patriarchal power structures. She also considers the role that religion can play for good or ill in the struggle against this universal injustice.