UNITED NATIONS: “End violence against women in all its forms and in all its contexts”, top UN officials on Friday asked governments worldwide to act towards that end.
“Look around at the women you are with. Think of those you cherish in your families and your communities, and understand that there is a statistical likelihood that many of them have suffered violence in their lifetime,” UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon said in his message to mark International Women’s Day.
The focus of the Day this year is on ending violence against women and girls. According to UN figures, seven out of 10 women globally will be beaten, raped, abused, or mutilated in their lifetimes. While some 125 countries have laws that penalise domestic violence, there are still 603 million women that live in countries where it is not a crime.
Mr Ban recalled that 2012 was a year of “shocking” crimes of violence against women and girls. “One young woman was gang-raped to death. Another committed suicide out of a sense of shame that should have been attached to the perpetrators. Young teens were shot at close range for daring to seek an education.
“These atrocities, which rightly sparked global outrage, were part of a much larger problem that pervades virtually every society and every realm of life.”
The executive director of the UN Entity for Gender Equality and the Empowerment of Women (UN Women), Michelle Bachelet, welcomed the progress countries have made to eliminate violence against women, but stressed much more needs to be done.
“I have hope because awareness and action are rising for women’s rights. A belief is growing that enough is enough,” Ms Bachelet said in her message .
“But I am outraged because women and girls continue to suffer high levels of discrimination, violence, and exclusion. They are routinely blamed and made to feel shame for the violence committed against them, and they too often search in vain for justice.”
In her message, UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Navi Pillay noted that while violence against women is one of the most pervasive violations of human rights, it is often met with indifference by authorities in many countries, leading to a lack of protection of victims and prosecution of perpetrators.
Public outcry is a first step that can lead to change in this regard, Ms. Pillay said, pointing to cases in India, South Africa and Papua New Guinea where public outrage has prompted authorities to act.