Citation

Reprowatch (Quezon City) 1999; 18(5): 5.

Copyright

(Copyright © 1999, Institute for Social Studies and Action)

DOI

unavailable

PMID

12295010

Abstract

To commemorate International Women's Day, more than 1000 victims of violence against women, activists, and celebrities from five continents participated in a video conference. UN Secretary General Kofi Annan declared that violence against women may be the most shameful human rights violation, and the Executive Director of the UN Development Fund for Women called violence against women "the most unpunished crime." Women from around the world described the culturally-sanctioned abuse they suffer, including female genital mutilation, wife murders, and dowry murders. The conference learned that more than 60 million women are missing in Asia because they were subjected to infanticide or were bartered away by their families to a life of domestic servitude or prostitution. Violence against women can take many forms, including domestic abuse, rape as a war crime, traditional practices, dowry and honor killings, and trafficking. In addition, at least 20% of women worldwide have been physically or sexually assaulted. The morbidity and mortality women suffer from violence is equal to that which they suffer from cancer.

Language: en