Violence against women and girls occurs in every segment of society, regardless of class, ethnicity, culture, or country
Background
At least one out of every three women around the world has been beaten, coerced into sex, or otherwise abused in her lifetime, with the abuser usually someone known to her. Violence against women and girls is a universal problem of epidemic proportions. Perhaps the most pervasive human rights violation that we know today, it devastates lives, fractures communities, and stalls development.
Statistics paint a horrifying picture of the social consequences of violence against women:
UNIFEM Responds
Fighting gender-based violence is a major concern for UNIFEM. UNIFEM works on several fronts to interrupt the cycle of violence against women, with an overall objective of linking violence to the source that feeds it: gender inequality. UNIFEM multiplies the power of its groundbreaking strategies through advocacy campaigns and close partnerships with governments, women's groups and other branches of the UN system.
The UN Trust Fund in Support of Actions to Eliminate Violence Against Women
The UN Trust Fund in Support of Actions to Eliminate Violence Against Women was established by General Assembly resolution 50/166 in 1996 and is managed by UNIFEM. The Trust Fund is the only multilateral grant-making mechanism that supports local, national and regional efforts to combat violence.
Since it began operations in 1997, the Trust Fund has provided more than $44 million to 291 initiatives in over 100 countries. Raising awareness of women's human rights, these UNIFEM-supported efforts have:
With grants ranging from $100,000 to $300,000, Trust Fund projects conduct public education and awareness campaigns, build coalitions, involve law-enforcement, judicial and government agencies, train educators, healthcare personnel and police officials to respond to and prevent violence. Many projects strive to alter community attitudes and involve men as allies.
Help us increase funding for this important resource. Organize a Walk to End Violence Against Women. You set the date, the time, the place and the pace for your walk. The only requirement is to contribute $10 to support the Trust Fund (100% tax-deductible). If you are unable to walk, please consider making a donation using the button below.
Get Involved with the latest issues affecting the lives of millions of women and girls globally. Stand with USNC for UN Women to support to help support social, political and economic equality for all girls and women...