The declaration at the United Nations Fourth World Conference on Women in Beijing in 1995, the international community committed to once and for all end violence against women, which is now commemorated on the 25 November each year. This year’s theme is “leave no one behind”.
This year’s theme of the campaign “Leave no one behind: end violence against women and girls” reinforces the UNiTE Campaign’s commitment to a world free from violence for all women and girls around the world, while reaching the most underserved and marginalized, including refugees, migrants, minorities, indigenous peoples, and populations affected by conflict and natural disasters, amongst others.
Violence against women and girls is one of the most widespread, persistent and devastating human rights violations in our world today.
In Sierra Leone, 52% of the population are women, yet, women suffer disproportionately from gender-based violence, because of societal values and a general acceptance that violence against women and children is fair game.
“The 2016 Global Peace Index (GPI) shows the world became less peaceful in the last year, reinforcing the underlying trend of declining peace over the last decade. Results also show a growing global inequality in peace, with the most peaceful countries continuing to improve while the least peaceful are falling into greater violence and conflict,” according to the report.
Violence against women is the most extreme form of discrimination. According UN Secretary General’s report on progress towards the Sustainable Development Goals, on the basis of data from 2005 to 2016 for 87 countries, 19% of women between 15 and 49 years of age said they had experienced physical and/or sexual violence by an intimate partner in the 12 months prior to the survey. In the most extreme cases, such violence can lead to death. In 2012, almost half of all women who were victims of intentional homicide worldwide were killed by an intimate partner or family member, compared to 6% of male victims.
Another extreme case of violence against women is female genital mutilation or cutting. This harmful cultural practice has declined by 24% since around 2000. Nevertheless, prevalence remains high in some countries, including Sierra Leone. Survey data from 2015 indicate that more than 1 in 3 girls between 15 and 19 years of age have undergone the procedure compared to nearly 1 in 2 girls around 2000.
Moreover, only just over half (52%) of women between 15 and 49 years of age who are married or in a relationship make their own decisions about consensual sexual relations and use of contraceptives and health services. That statistic is based on available data from around 2012 for 45 countries, 43 of which are in developing regions.
Amnesty International Report on Sierra Leone for 2016/2017 stated the incidence of violence against women and girls remained high. Specialist organizations providing support to women and girls risked closure due to funding constraints.
The report further revealed that Sierra Leone had a very high rate of FGM. During the Ebola crisis, FGM was banned and this ban was not officially lifted during 2016. However, FGM of young girls and women remains common.
BM/23/11/17
By Betty Milton
Friday November 24, 2017.
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