16 Days of activism against gender violence in honor of International Day for the Elimination of Violence against Women
It can threaten women and girls at any point in their life- from female feticide and inadequate access to education and nutrition to child marriage, incest, and so-called "honor" killings. It can take the form of dowry -related murder or domestic violence, rape (including spousal rape), sexual exploitation and abuse, trafficking in persons, or the neglect and ostracism of widows. One in three women around the world will experience some form of gender-based violence in her lifetime. In some countries that number is as high as 70 percent, the press service of the US Diplomatic Mission to Kazakhstan reports.
This year, we once again mark "16 Days of Activism Against Gender Violence," commencing on November 25 with the International Day for the Elimination of Violence Against Women and ending December 10 with International Human Rights Day. It is clear that the international community must offer up more than words to answer the call to free women and girls from violence. Whether it happens behind closed doors or as a public tactic of intimidation, whether down the street of our own neighborhood or on distant shores, violence against women and girls damages us all -men and women alike. We must stand up to the impunity that too often leaves the most egregious perpetrators unaccountable for their crimes. We must redress the low status of women and girls around the world that renders them undervalued and vulnerable. Further, we must support the inclusion of men and boys in addressing and preventing violence and changing gender attitudes, increase accountability and commitment by community and government leaders on this issue, as well as highlight and promote effective programs that are already successfully at work.
These 16 Days are a sobering reminder that gender-based violence cannot be treated as solely a women's issue - it is a profound challenge for the entire world. Gender-based violence is not just an affront to human rights and dignity - it adversely impacts the welfare of our communities. When women and girls are abused, businesses close, incomes shrink, families go hungry, and children grow up internalizing behavior that perpetuates the cycle of violence. There is no end to the economic and detrimental social and health costs that come along with this brutality.
Consider the costs incurred for substantial medical and legal services as a result of injury and abuse. Or calculate the costs of lost household productivity and reduced income stemming from the forfeit of paid working days. As many women often work in "the informal economy" selling market goods or working as domestics, such costs are often hidden - even in plain sight.
For full version go to http://kazakhstan.usembassy.gov/news112511.html
