| Summary: | Violence against women (VAW) is a violation of human rights. The violence occurs as a form of physical, sexual, psychological, economic or sociocultural abuse and aggression. VAW is mostly a covert, complex and undetected phenomenon, making effective interventions challenging. In many cases, VAW does not occur in isolation but is tangled in a web of violence, resulting in polyvictimisation. The intricate nature of VAW can be summarised according to a socioecological framework that divides contributing factors and interventions into individual, proximal and distal factors. From structural abuse, sociocultural disparity, economic inequality, gender-based discrimination, secondary victimisation and victim blaming to assertion of power and control by the perpetrator, all contribute to the lack of empowerment and self-agency of the survivor in escaping the cycle of violence. Managing VAW requires concerted and synergistic efforts from various stakeholders at every level of the socioecological system where mental health professionals are part of the team. It is essential to start with prevention, early detection and comprehensive treatment of VAW rather than merely diagnosing and prescribing medications in the area of women’s mental health. © 2023 Taylor and Francis.
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