International Women's Day

Picture five of your female acquaintances from around the world in a room. One woman will become a victim of rape or attempted rape in her lifetime. Of your three closest female friends, one will experience physical violence inflicted by an intimate partner in the course of her lifetime. Whether influenced by the fear of shaming their family, or by the fear of societal reproach, only one of the two women will speak out against the crimes committed against her.

To help combat crimes against women such as rape, murder, abuse, FGM, and human trafficking, the UN has launched its UNiTE to End Violence Against Women Campaign. By improving criminal justice systems and providing legal and health services to victims of abuse around the world, the campaign hopes to drastically reduce the number of women who are victims of gender-based crimes annually.

March 8, 2009 will mark the 100th anniversary of International Women’s Day that fosters the promotion of women’s rights around the globe.

To find out more about the UNiTE campaign or International Women’s Day, click here