p dir=ltrGender-based violence is a global pandemic that cuts across all borders - ethnic, racial, class, religious, and educational level. It can threaten women and girls at any point in their life cycle - from inadequate access to education, healthcare and nutrition to child marriage, sex trafficking, dowry-related murder, so-called “honour” killings, domestic violence, rape and the neglect and ostracism of widows./p
p dir=ltrThis year, we again take up the “16 Days of Activism against Gender Violence,” commencing on November 25 with the International Day for the Elimination of Violence Against Women and ending on December 10 with the International Human Rights Day. These 16 days are a sobering reminder that gender-based violence has profound socio-economic consequences for all the society. It not only lessens the possibility of gender equality, it negatively affects women’s healthcare, education, and political and economic par?icipation./p
p dir=ltrTo overcome gender-based violence and reap the benefits of full participation by women and girls, the international community must offer up more than words to answer the call to free women from violence. We must stand up and make offenders accountable for their crimes. We must redress the poor status of women and girls around the world, which renders them undervalued and vulnerable./p
p dir=ltrFurthermore, we must support the inclusion of men and boys in addressing and preventing violence and changing gender attitudes, as well as acknowledging that males can also be victimised because of their gender. Lastly, we must highlight and promote effective programmes that are already successfully at work./p
p dir=ltrThis year, the 16-day campaign comes on the heels of the 10th anniversary of UN Security Council Resolution 1325 on Women, Peace and Security, thus affording the international community an opportunity to bolster efforts to treat women not merely as victims of violence, but rather as agents of peace and reconciliation./p
p dir=ltrTo this end, the United States is taking the lead to reaffirm the goals set forth in this historic resolution; but more than that, the United States is putting forth specific actions countries can take to ensure women are at the table during peace negotiations. The only way to achieve our goals - to reduce the number of conflicts around the world, to eliminate rape as a weapon of war, to combat the culture of impunity for sexual violence and to build sustainable peace - is to draw on the full contributions?of both women and men in every aspect of peacemaking, peacekeeping and peace building./p
p dir=ltrThe United States is also working bilaterally and multilaterally to define gender-based violence not as solely a woman’s issue, but one of international human rights and security. We are taking action on the ground, training peacekeepers on gender-based violence awareness and prevention activities, working with NGOs to ensure men’s engagement in preventing violence against women, and partnering with religious leaders of all faiths to incorporate these messages into their outreach./p
p dir=ltrCountries cannot progress when half of their populations are marginalised and mistreated, and subjected to discrimination. When women are accorded their rights and afforded equal opportunities in education, healthcare, employment and political participation, they lift up their families, their communities and their nations - and act as agents of change./p
p dir=ltrAs US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton recently noted, “investing in the potential of the women and girls is one of the surest ways to achieve global economic progress, political stability, and greater prosperity for women - and men - the world over”./p