24 NOVEMBER 2009
Violence against women – a problem of pandemic proportions

According to UNIFEM up to 70 percent of women experience physical or sexual violence in their lifetime. The International Day for the Elimination of Violence Against Women - marked each year on 25 November - is an opportunity for UNA-UK to again raise awareness of one of our top campaign priorities.

Violence against women has many guises – domestic violence, sex trafficking, ‘honour’ crimes, female genital mutilation, the use of rape as a war tactic – and can devastate lives, fracture communities and stall development.

Last year, UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon launched ‘UNite to End Violence Against Women’, a campaign calling on all countries to enact laws and develop policies to prevent these inexcusable crimes.

In his message for 25 November 2009, Ban stressed that we must ‘take concrete steps to end impunity’ and ‘address the roots of this violence by…changing the mindsets that perpetuate it’. He also announced the formation of a Network of Men Leaders to support this aim.

Click here to read UNA-UK’s briefing on this issue >>

Click here to read the UN Secretary-General’s message >>

Click here to take action >>