Originally published on the CGS blog on October 14, 2013.
The recent death sentences handed down to four men convicted of the gang-rape of a young woman in India have thrown the issue of violence against women into sharp relief. The Indian government estimates that a woman is raped every 22 minutes in India. It appears that more Indian women are coming forward to report sexual assaults after the verdict in this case. While that is promising, the issue remains. After riots in Uttar Pradesh in September, there were 5 complaints of gang rape and 2 of sexual assault.
Violence against women, not just in India but throughout the world, is an issue of highest importance. In fact, it is an epidemic. And that’s not hyperbole or editorializing. According to the Director General of the World Health Organization (WHO), “violence against women is a global health problem of epidemic proportions.” An unbelievable 35 percent of women worldwide have experienced physical or sexual violence by a partner or stranger. And even more shocking, more women are killed or disabled by gender-based violence than cancer.
Not only are gender-based and sexual violence morally reprehensible, they are also unequivocally condemned by international human rights law. The Universal Declaration of Human Rights (UDHR), the Declaration on the Elimination of Violence Against Women, and the Convention on the Elimination of all forms of Discrimination Against Women all make it clear that gender-based violence is unacceptable. According to the UDHR, “everyone is entitled to all the rights and freedoms set forth in this Declaration, without distinction of any kind, such as race, color, sex [emphasis added], language, religion, political or other opinion, national or social origin, property, birth or other status.”
While this is a deadly serious issue, it would be a mistake to treat women as passive victims. There are many outspoken and powerful women working for positive change. This week, 200 activists marched against the gang rape of a teacher in India and 16 year old Malala Yousafazi, a brave and outspoken advocate for the rights of women who was shot by the Taliban, was in the running for a Nobel Prize. It would also be a mistake not to recognize the fact that gender-based violence affects women worldwide, from Australia to Zimbabwe and that we all have an obligation to become advocates for change.
