Violence Against Women - an introduction to the campaign

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Violence against women is the most widespread human rights violation in the world. It is happening right now in homes, streets, schools and workplaces. It is happening in courtrooms, prisons, parliaments and war zones. It is happening in every country, city, town and village from the poorest to the richest. It is blind to age, race, class, religion, ethnic origin, sexual orientation and background. It is the violation most often ignored and most often tolerated.

• Every day, every hour, every minute women all over the world are
  beaten, forced into sex, or otherwise abused. Usually, the abuser is
  a member of her own family or someone known to her.
  
• The Council of Europe has stated that violence in the family is the
  major cause of death and disability for women between 16 and 44 years
  of age. It is the reason for more death and ill-health than cancer or
  traffic accidents.
  
• More than 60 million women are "missing" from the world today as
  a result of sex-selective abortions and female infanticide. China's
  last census in the year 2000 revealed that the ratio of new-born girls
  to boys was 100:119. The biological norm is 100:103.
  
• In the USA, violence in the family is the largest threat to women,
  more than rape, car accidents and muggings combined.
  
• In Russia, nearly 40 women die each day at the hands of their partners.
  Yet, the country still has no law addressing violence in the family.
  
• The World Health Organization has reported that up to 70 per cent
  of female murder victims are killed by their male partners.
  
• In Ireland, a study conducted by the Rotunda Maternity Hospital found
  that in a sample of 400 pregnant women, 12.5% had experienced abuse
  while they were pregnant.
  

VIOLENCE AGAINST WOMEN IS A GLOBAL HUMAN RIGHTS SCANDAL.

Violence against women is not ?natural? or ?normal?. The main reason for violence against women is discrimination that denies women equality with men in all areas of life.

Every woman has the right to be safe. Every woman has the right to be supported by society.

Working with women?s rights groups, Amnesty International has launched a two-year public awareness and action campaign to end violence against women.

This campaign challenges the values, attitudes and behaviour that contribute to discrimination against women and girls and violence against them.

Amnesty International members worldwide will:

1. press everyone to understand that violence against women is never
   acceptable. It is human rights abuse.
   
2. defend and promote the rights of all women.
3. support human rights activists to have security, respect and resources
   to do their work.
   
4. insist that governments uphold their responsibility for protecting
   women from violence and preventing violence against women. We demand
   governments to bring perpetrators of violence against women to justice.
   
5. promote efforts by governments and women's organisations to ensure
   that women and girls can escape violence and rebuild healthy lives.
   

JOIN US. Stopping violence against women is everyone?s business. Together we can break the silence and stop the human rights scandal.

To find out how you can be part of this campaign please contact Lina Nykanen at Amnesty International Irish Section 01 677 6361.