STOP violence against women

Stock image rearranged by CEDC.org
Stock image rearranged by CEDC.org

 

Violence against women is a pervasive crime, far more widespread than the media make us believe. Domestic violence, trafficking in women and girls, exploitation of different kinds and rape as a method of warfare are the most well-known manifestations of the crime, but how about femicide, harmful practices such as child marriage, or sexual harassment? And isn’t extreme poverty a form of violence as well, as the International Movement ATD Fourth World so eloquently shows in its recent action-research project Extreme Poverty is Violence – Breaking the Silence – Searching for Peace?

On March 8, it will be International Women’s Day again, and this year the UN has chosen as theme “A promise is a promise: Time for action to end violence against women.” The website of the United Nations Entity for Gender Equality and the Empowerment of Women - UN Women – has created a special page for International Women’s Day 2013, which will be updated daily until the middle of March. Check it out.

During the first two weeks of March, the Commission on the Status of Women (CSW) will also deliberate on the topic of violence against women during its annual session from March 4-15. Many of its proceedings will be webcast live so anyone with access to the internet can follow the meetings from his/her computer. To view UN web cast, please click here. To follow CSW webcast of UN Women side events, please click here.

Previous postings on this website (http://sacredheartattheun.org) have called attention to ongoing UN campaigns such as Say NO – UNiTE to End Violence against Women. But have you heard of the Virtual Knowledge Centre to End Violence against Women and Girls? It is worth exploring, so make a book mark of it because this interesting site is still in its beginning phase and is frequently being updated.

NGO Office
February 2013