This helpdesk report reviews the evidence on violence against women and girls and intersectionality. It traces the term to Kimberle Crenshaw's work describing the multiple layers of discrimination and marginalisation that African American women face in the United States, and applies that lens to understanding how gender inequality and patriarchy intersect with other systems of inequality and oppression.

The report sets out which groups of women are at increased risk of violence because of multiple discriminations or disadvantages, and what is known about preventing violence against the most marginalised and excluded groups, including lesbian and bisexual women, women with disabilities and women living with HIV. It notes the lack of rigorous evidence in low and middle-income countries: particular evidence gaps include prevalence data showing which groups of women are at increased risk, and forms of violence they are most at risk of, since nationally representative surveys often miss or only include small numbers of women in these groups.