More than a third of all women in the world will be forced into sex, beaten or abused by a partner or family member in their lifetime.
The alarming prevalence of intimate partner/domestic violence was brought to the world’s attention after a top UN official highlighted it during a press conference held at the UN yesterday.
As the AFP reports, Zou Xiaoqaio, vice-chairwoman of the Committee on the Elimination of Discrimination Against Women “said that sexual violence was increasing around the world despite major campaigns by the UN and other bodies… and that not enough of the 186 countries which have signed the 1979 Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination Against Women (CEDAW) had implemented it to give effective help to women.”
IWHC and our colleagues are working hard on a daily basis to change this reality. As we point out in our factsheet “Seven Things the World Can Do to End Violence Against Women” [LINK], in every country of the world, women across all classes and cultures experience sexual, physical, and emotional violence—a fundamental violation of women’s human rights. Violence aggravates women’s vulnerability to HIV infection, limits women’s access to life-saving sexual and reproductive health services, and increases stigma and discrimination.
We are not the only ones who care deeply about this issue. Our partners and colleagues are working tirelessly to raise awareness and prevent this unfortunate global phenomenon. As a testament to the intersectional nature of this issue, the factsheet “Seven Things the World Can Do to End Violence Against Women” was the result of a collaboration between the International Women’s Health Coalition, the World AIDS Campaign, International Aids Women Caucus, and Women Won’t Wait.
Click here to access the full factsheet and learn more about actions you can take to prevent the violation of women’s health and rights around the world. The factsheet is also available in Portuguese and Spanish.