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World cannot afford to pay price of violence against women, girls: UN chief

Xinhua, November 26, 2016 Adjust font size:

UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon on Friday said that the world cannot afford to pay price of violence against women and girls and at long last, there is growing global recognition that violence against women and girls is a human rights violation, public health pandemic and serious obstacle to sustainable development.

In his message to mark the International Day to End Violence against Women and Girls, which falls on Nov. 25, the secretary-general said in a message said that much remains to be done to turn this awareness into meaningful prevention and response.

Violence against women and girls imposes large-scale costs on families, communities and economies, he said. "When women cannot work as a result of violence, their employment may be put at risk, jeopardizing much-needed income, autonomy and their ability to leave abusive relationships."

"The net result is enormous suffering as well as the exclusion of women from playing their full and rightful roles in society," Ban said.

While efforts to address this challenge are rich in political commitment, they are chronically under-funded, he said.

The secretary-general, therefore, called on governments to show their commitment by dramatically increasing national spending in all relevant areas, including in support of women's movements and civil society organizations.

Globally, 47 percent of murders of women are committed by an intimate partner or family member, compared to less than six percent of murders of men. Women represent 55 percent of victims of forced labor and 98 percent of the victims of sexual exploitation. Globally, an estimated 200 million women and girls have undergone female genital mutilation (FGM) in 30 countries and 700 million were married as children. Endit