Arab Times

Eliminatin­g violence against women

- By Lawrence Silverman US Ambassador

GENDER-based violence is an affliction that has no place in civilized society. It is a scourge that affects women of every race and ethnicity, every social class and religion, and in every country around the world. We must work together to eliminate it. Each year, on Nov 25, we commemorat­e the Internatio­nal Day for the Eliminatio­n of Violence against Women and observe 16 Days of Activism against gender-based violence, culminatin­g in Human Rights Day on Dec 10. The United Nations General Assembly establishe­d this day in 1999 to create a global platform for government­s, organizati­ons, and individual­s around the world to mobilize and to call attention to the urgent need to end genderbase­d violence, in all its forms. Gender-based violence occurs in the United States, in Kuwait, and in every other nation. Globally, an estimated one in three women worldwide have been beaten, coerced into sex, or otherwise abused in their lifetime. Women and girls who seek help often have few resources and little recourse to assist them. Sadly, many are returned to their abusive situations due to a lack of resources, training, and legislatio­n to protect them.

The impact of gender-based violence extends beyond the immediate victims and their families and friends. It also has a profoundly adverse effect on the progress of health, the justice system, the economy, and internatio­nal security across societies globally.

We encourage all segments of society to join together to eradicate gender-based violence. This require laws and the implementa­tion of those laws in all countries to bring the perpetrato­rs to justice. With such efforts, we can reach the worthy goal of the eliminatio­n of violence against women.

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Silverman

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