Happy International Women’s Day from CSW57!
Ban Ki-moon’s message today at the United Nations in New York was that violence against women is not inevitable; that we must struggle against it and win. Michelle Bachelet, Executive Director of UNWomen, also had encouraging words to say at this commemoration for International Women’s Day.
She cited the fact that 50 governments and the European Union were committed to taking action to end violence against women and girls and President Obama’s signature on the VAW Act yesterday as progress. The organizers launched the song “One Woman: a Song for UN Women”, which was created by 25 singers and musicians from 20 countries with lyrics inspired by stories of women supported by UNWomen, an organization founded in 2011 with the main objective of empowering women and achieving gender equality worldwide.
It can (and should) be heard here:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wG3RpHCnELs
The First Lady of Zambia, Pediatrician and now Goodwill Ambassador for the World Health Organization, gave a powerful but explicit speech about the sexual atrocities that young girls in her country endure. Speakers from Uganda, Kenya, and Gambia, all in the medical field, all women, confirmed and elaborated on the rape and mutilation that women and girls are subjected to in these African nations.
An extensive UN Asia-Pacific study (12,500 participants) has been conducted on men and violence, with the following findings:
- 1 in 2 men have used violence against their partner
- 1 in 4 men have committed rape
- 4% the men in the study had participated in gang-rape.
The findings from this study will be used to develop programs to curb these violent behaviors by addressing the underlying drivers that were revealed and by changing cultural norms that support gender inequality and violence against women.
By Erica Higbie, FAWCO Representative to the United Nations