Gender-based violence (GBV) is one of the driving forces of the HIV/AIDS epidemic worldwide. GBV, defined as any form of violence directed towards an individual or group on the basis of their gender, illustrates more than any issue how gender shapes HIV vulnerability. Without diminishing the magnitude of VAW, the goal of this fact sheet is to use examples of GBV to provide the reader with an understanding of how GBV, in its many forms, fuels the HIV epidemic globally.