Turn on the television, and you see it. Everyday and everywhere across the globe exists this never-ending epidemic—domestic violence. Worldwide, movements to end violence against women have made remarkable progress; however, it isn’t enough. Despite all of this progress, women (and girls) are still subjected to violence and discrimination across the globe.
Turn on the television, and you see it. Everyday and everywhere across the globe exists this never-ending epidemic—domestic violence. Worldwide, movements to end violence against women have made remarkable progress; however, it isn’t enough. Despite all of this progress, women (and girls) are still subjected to violence and discrimination across the globe. Domestic violence is the leading cause of injury and death for women worldwide. Even with the widespread awareness and activism on this gender-based violence, the incidence of violent behavior is still too high, affecting at least one in three women around the world. Each day, especially in developing countries, girls and women are suffering, many in silence. In too many nations and regions, women are still devalued and treated as second-class citizens. Even as many of these developing countries begin to experience improved economic and political times, violence against women continues at alarming rates. It is a global epidemic that affects not only the health and economic stability of women, their families, and their communities but each and every one of us. Around the world, in all societies, women are victims of violence. This type of violence is not only the most shameful but perhaps the most insidious as well. It knows no boundaries of geography, culture, or wealth.
Women are subjected to all kinds of crimes, from war crimes to crimes against humanity. From the statistics alone, its occurrence prevails not only within rich and stable countries but also in those experiencing violent conflict. In fact, countries afflicted by war often target women, raping and beating them as a means of war. Rape as a weapon of war is used to both terrify and demoralize communities and to exact vengeance on the men through their women. More often then not, however, many of the perpetrators simply do it because they believe there will be no retribution. Take, for example, the War in Iraq. Some our own U.S. soldiers were recently involved with this type of heinous crime against an Iraqi woman. In Congo, thousands are raped each year, including a 12-year-old girl collecting firewood. She was raped and beaten by four men and a 60-year-old woman was tied up, raped, and beaten by two soldiers as she went looking for food for her family. This kind of brutality is not okay.
Every year in India, at least 5,000 brides are murdered or commit suicide because their marriage dowries are considered inadequate. One woman is raped every 30 minutes in India, while another is killed every 75 minutes. More than 3,000 women and about 4,000 children were tortured to death in 2005 across the country of Bangladesh. Every nine seconds, a woman is battered by her domestic partner, but only 1 in 100 battered women in the U.S. reports the abuse she suffers. Another 1 in 5 women will be victims of rape in the U.S. within her lifetime. 59% of Japanese women are victims of domestic violence. In Pakistan, roughly 80% of women were victims of abuse and from 126 reported cases of violence, 86 women were killed. Everyday, nearly 6,000 girls are genitally mutilated. Almost 4 in 10 Swiss women have suffered some sort of physical, psychological, or sexual violence. In Russia, half of all murder victims are women killed by their male partners. In South Africa, a woman is raped every 80 seconds. In Kenya, 42% of women experience violence within the home. Every day in Manila, a woman reports rape. One-third of women in Barbados, Canada, the Netherlands, New Zealand, and Norway are sexually abused during childhood. Need I go on? These are just some of the statistics.
This is not just an issue for women; it is an issue for everyone. The women behind these statistics are mothers, daughters, sisters, friends, and colleagues. Some are rich and others poor. They are young, old, and in-between, coming from cities, towns and villages across the world. Domestic violence can happen to anyone, anywhere, at anytime, perhaps even to someone you know. What will it take to end this devastating crime? Nothing so far seems to have been enough.
