What is Violence Against Women?
Violence against women is perhaps the most shameful human rights violation, and it is perhaps the most pervasive. It knows no boundaries of geography, culture or wealth. As long as it continues, we cannot claim to be making real progress towards equality, development and peace. Kofi Annan According to the United Nations Declaration on the Elimination of Violence against Women (1993), violence against women is defined as: “Any act of gender-based violence that results in, or is likely to result in, physical, sexual or psychological harm or suffering to women, including threats of such acts, coercion or arbitrary deprivation of liberty, whether occurring in public or in private life.” These acts can include but are not limited to: • Physical abuse: hitting, beating, threats or attacks with objects or weapons, murder • Sexual abuse: any unwanted act of a sexual nature imposed through threats, intimidation or physical force • Emotional or verbal abuse: can include threats, intimidation, in
