Ending Violence Against Women

     Perhaps you know a woman who has been the victim of violence...perhaps you are that woman.  If so, you are no stranger to this topic.  Or maybe, you don't think that any of the women you know has been a victim of violence, sexual or otherwise and that this is all a lot of hype.  Well, think again.

     Violence against women and girls continues unabated in every continent, country and culture. It takes a devastating toll on women’s lives, on their families, and on society as a whole. Most societies prohibit such violence — yet the reality is that too often, it is covered up or tacitly condoned.                                                                                                          — UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-Moon, 8 March 2007

     Here are the facts as published by the United Nations Development Fund for Women (UNIFEM):

• At least 1 out of 3 women in the world has been beaten, coerced into sex or otherwise abused in her lifetime.
• For women aged 15-44, violence is a major cause of disability or death.  (Read more...)