This from UNiTE – United Nations Secretary-General’s Campaign to end violence against women. It is good to be reminded of these numbers:
How Widespread is Violence Against Women?
-The most common form of violence experienced by women globally is violence inflicted by an intimate partner. On average at least one in three women is beaten, co-erced into sex, or otherwise abused by an intimate partner in the course of her lifetime.
-Women aged 15 – 44 are more at risk from rape and domestic violence than from cancer, motor accidents, war and malaria according to World Bank data.
-Several global surveys suggest that half of all women who die from homicide are killed by their current or former husbands or partners. In Australia, Canada, Israel, South Africa and the United States, 40%- 70% of female murder victims were killed by their partners according to the World Health Organization (WHO).
-It is estimated that worldwide, one in five women will become a survivor or rape or attempted rape in her lifetime.
-Violence against women during or after armed conflicts has been reported in every national and international war zone. Between 250,000 and 500,000 women were raped during the 1994 genocide in Rwanda. Between 20,000 and 50,000 women were raped during the conflict in Bosnia in the early 1990’s.
paulette moore
trudecdgecs
tostadob
solerueda
starnosedmole
Eirin
lisacollste
sbbunce
aasheim
I live in an Australian State of 1.5 million people and the current figures for murder by partner after domestic violence and abuse is one woman every five days……
By: Fatale on September 9, 2009
at 7:25 AM
Thank you for your comment – these statistics are shocking and often overwhelming. Is the Australian state you live in doing anything to deal with this murder rate?
By: itbeginswithme on September 9, 2009
at 12:59 PM
where I live, women beat up their husbands, but the men fear to report such matters for fear of embarrasment.
By: Kate Ofwono on September 10, 2009
at 5:52 AM
It is important to remember that it is men and women united that will help stem violence. This is such a good point, Kate. It is easy to demonize one part of the population – violence is everyone’s responsibility.
By: itbeginswithme on September 10, 2009
at 1:11 PM
The laws relating to Domestic Violence are currently undergoing change but when these deaths are described by police and the media as “domestic disputes” I do not hold great hope.
I think a dispute is when you can’t decide who will do the dishes… it never ends in death for one of the parties.
By: Fatale on September 10, 2009
at 8:09 AM
Exactly! This takes a complete change in culture – and what is accepted. In my violence against women class we talk about “small” things like the “wife beater” under shirt. Once you realize that using terms like that allows violence in – things begin to take on a whole new perspective. It’s about finding ways to get that to resonate – bit by bit.
By: itbeginswithme on September 10, 2009
at 1:07 PM