Ipas > On May 28th, global network calls for action to stop violence against women

On May 28th, global network calls for action to stop violence against women

May 31, 2005

The Women's Global Network for Reproductive Rights demands an end to violence against women.

Violence against women and girls constitutes a human-rights and public-health emergency worldwide. It causes mental and physical injury, exposes women and girls to diseases and coerced pregnancy, increases women’s vulnerability in all spheres of their lives and, in the worst cases, ends in their deaths. In the United States, six of every 10 murdered women are killed by someone they know well, such as a husband or boyfriend. As a result of decades of efforts by women’s groups to fight the problem, there is a growing recognition that violence against women has a devastating impact not only on the lives of women, but also on their families, communities and societies.

On May 28, the Women's Global Network for Reproductive Rights (WGNRR) issued a Call to Action to combat violence against women. WGNRR is a worldwide network of organizations and individuals working to secure women’s reproductive rights. In 1987, it declared May 28 the International Day of Action for Women’s Health. Every year since, WGNRR—in collaboration with members like Ipas and other campaign supporters—has issued a Call for Action to raise awareness and promote solidarity and action on May 28. Focuses of the Call to Action on the International Day of Action for Women’s Health have ranged from maternal mortality and morbidity and AIDS to health-sector reform and the impact of global trade agreements on women’s health.

WGNRR members around the world have planned dozens of events for this year’s International Day of Action. Some of these events include:

WGNRR members around the world have planned dozens of events for this year’s International Day of Action. Some of these events include:
A youth conference in high schools in Nigeria;
Forums in Denmark and Chile to discuss violence against women in context of the Millennium Development Goals;
A conference and demonstration in Haiti to raise public awareness about women’s health and violence issues.

Ipas is proud to be a partner in WGNRR and an active participant in the International Day of Action. Ipas has long been committed to raising awareness about the destructive consequences of sexual violence and to significantly improving the public health sector’s response to survivors’ needs for compassionate counseling and timely health services. In particular, Ipas’s programs in Latin America have emphasized a proactive approach to the problems of sexual violence.

In Nicaragua, Ipas and a number of other women’s organizations are recognizing the Day of Action by sponsoring a month-long public education campaign, beginning with a march on May 27. Using the motto “My life is worth more,” groups will use the media, theater and other public forums to call for greater attention to women’s health.

Everyone has a role to play in combating violence against women, including international communities, governments, health workers and other concerned individuals. Some of the things we can do are:

Everyone has a role to play in combating violence against women, including international communities, governments, health workers and other concerned individuals. Some of the things we can do are:
Break the silence by sharing information on violence with others;
Lobby our legislators for the creation and/or implementation of public-health policies that help women stay healthy and free from violence;
Support access to emergency contraception and safe abortion services and other programs for survivors of violence.

For more information, contact:
Kirsten Sherk
Senior Associate, Media Relations
e-mail: sherkk@ipas.org
phone: 919.960.5612
fax: 919.929.0258