On International Day, UN chief says ‘violence against women is not inevitable’

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“In each of our ain neighbourhoods, determination are women and girls surviving successful danger. Around the world, conflict, climate-related earthy disasters, nutrient insecurity and quality rights violations are exacerbating unit against women”, she said.

And according to UN Women, more than 70 per cent person experienced GBV in immoderate situation settings.

Hidden violence

In both rich and poor countries alike, sex prejudice has fuelled acts of unit towards women and girls.

The apical UN Women official explained that this benignant of unit “often goes unreported, silenced by stigma, shame, fearfulness of the perpetrators and fearfulness of a justness strategy that does not enactment for women”.

Moreover, COVID-19 has triggered a shadow pandemic, which enables unseen violence. She cited an summation successful reports on helplines for unit against women and girls (VAWG) in each corners of the world.

Hope connected the horizon

Despite this, Ms. Bahous said that there is anticipation and caller opportunities are opening.

Last summer, arsenic portion of a $40 cardinal committedness to the women and girls of the world, the Generation Equality Forum launched the Action Coalition connected Gender-based Violence to spark corporate action, thrust concern and present factual results.

“There volition beryllium factual fiscal and argumentation commitments, and scaled-up initiatives successful captious areas: subsister enactment services, ineligible frameworks and much resources for grass-roots organizations”, the UN Women main assured.

‘Change is possible’

UN Secretary-General, António Guterres, said that “violence against women is not inevitable”.

“The close policies and programmes bring results”, including long-term strategies that tackle the basal causes of violence, protecting the rights of women and girls, and promoting strong and autonomous women’s rights movements.

The UN has built this model done its concern with the European Union in the Spotlight Initiative.

Partner countries last year witnessed a 22 per cent summation successful prosecution of perpetrators; 84 laws and policies were passed oregon strengthened; and much than 650,000 women and girls were capable to access GBV services – despite pandemic-related restrictions.

“Change is possible, and present is the clip to redouble our efforts truthful that together, we tin destruct unit against women and girls by 2030”, helium said.

GBV knows nary boundaries

General Assembly President, Abdulla Shahid, said that 1 diagnostic of gender-based unit is that it knows nary societal oregon economical boundaries and affects women and girls of each socio-economic backgrounds.

“This contented needs to beryllium addressed successful some processing and developed countries”, helium argued.

Community focal points be a grooming league connected Gender Based Violence (GBV) successful Juba, South Sudan.

Violence abounds

According to the latest global estimates, nearly one-in-three women aged 15 and older person been subjected to carnal and/or intersexual violence by an intimate or non-sexual partner or some astatine slightest erstwhile successful their lifetime.

These numbers have remained mostly unchanged implicit the past decade, and do not bespeak the interaction of COVID-19.

Since the pandemic outbreak however, emerging information has revealed that each types of VAWG, particularly home violence, person intensified – with the satellite unprepared to respond to its accelerated escalation.

And this does not include the afloat continuum of violence, including intersexual harassment, unit successful integer contexts, harmful practices and intersexual exploitation crossed antithetic contexts and geographic locations.

Pandemic

Since the opening of the pandemic, feelings of information have also been eroding among women, importantly impacting their intelligence and affectional well-being, according to a new report released by UN Women.

Published a day prior to the International Day and kicking off the 16 Days of Activism against Gender-Based Violence, it revealed that crossed 13 countries, almost fractional of each women reported that they oregon a pistillate they cognize experienced gender-based unit during the pandemic.

And astir a 4th reported much predominant household conflicts with a akin proportionality saying they felt little harmless astatine home.

This year, the UNiTE campaign set “Orange the World: End Violence against Women Now!” arsenic the authoritative theme.