Just a few decades ago, the scourge of violence against women and girls was masked in a deadly silence. It was only 17 years ago that violence against women and girls was officially recognized, thanks to the unrelenting efforts of women activists at the World Human Rights Conference in Vienna in 1993. The problem is now understood to be universal; many call it a pandemic. The UN reports that there is no country or region in the world where women and girls can escape it. UNIFEM says that globally, up to six out of every ten women experience physical and/or sexual violence in their lifetime. Among women of reproductive age, acts of violence cause more death and disability than cancer, malaria, traffic accidents, and war combined, according to the World Bank. With one out of every three women physically abused in her lifetime, gender-based violence is the most pervasive human rights violation on the planet. Despite the urgency, the global response to combat gender-based violence has been abysmal. In the current UN system, women’s agencies alone receive less than 1% of the funding—and that includes organizations that do not focus on violence against women. But the women at ground zero are not waiting for those who wield power to take action. At World Pulse, we hear daily from women on the ground on our interactive newswire, PulseWire. The most recurring cry we hear is that ending violence against women must be the world’s number one priority. And they are ready to lead the charge. They are organizing. But what is actually working? Where is the hope? World Pulse talked to key experts who have devoted their lives to ending the bloodshed. From policy analysts, to ambassadors, to women working in the field, to heads of organizations, their experiences were varied, but three key recommendations emerged. 34 | worldpulse.com
the way forward Enforce the Laws The good news is that over the last decade most countries in the world have adopted legislation to protect women from violence. Close to 115 countries have laws or policies addressing violence; but the experts we spoke to were all quick to point out that getting a law on paper is just the beginning. “One of the key challenges we are facing is getting these pieces of legislation implemented,” says Melanne Verveer, US Ambassador for Global Women’s Issues. “The reasons range from lack of political will to the fact that many countries don’t see the issue as pressing compared to what they consider to be ‘bigger problems.’” “Formerly women could be legally raped by their husbands in most parts of the world,” says Mary Ellsberg, Vice President of Research and Programs for the International Center for Research on Women. “These things are changing, and we are seeing countries reforming their criminal code to make these punishable crimes at the national level. The problem is that you don’t necessarily see a lot of the changes for women on the ground. There is a huge implementation crisis, and we are still very far from being able to keep women safe.” In other words, a law may exist but a woman who has been attacked may not be able to take her abuser to jail or even file a police report. There may be no safe haven for her, and no legal, medical, or counseling services. For Melanne Verveer,“It comes down to the three P’s: prevention, protection, and prosecution.” It is critically important that laws not only get passed, but that communities have the resources and support to enforce them.
These are enormous challenges. But women are not cowed. They are innovative and courageous and refusing to be beat down. Shalini Nataraj | Global Fund for Women