Blog Post
International Women’s Day - An Opportunity for Reflection and Inspiration
Today, the world commemorates International Women’s Day 2012, a day to reflect on the changing female role in society and our momentous social, economic, and political achievements. It is a day to give thanks for the women who have taught us, led us, and influenced us to live to our fullest potential.
Organizations around the world will focus on themes that reflect the local, national, and global gender issues relevant to their work and contexts. The United Nations 2012 theme is Empower Rural Women – End Hunger and Poverty.
The Office on Violence Against Women (OVW), too, is focused on protecting and empowering women and girls in rural communities. Our charge is to end abuse which can be – and often is – linked to issues of poverty and basic unmet needs like food and shelter. Our Rural Domestic Violence, Dating Violence, Sexual Assault, and Stalking Assistance Program is designed to enhance the safety of victims by supporting projects uniquely designed to address and prevent these crimes in rural jurisdictions.
As Dr. Babatunde Osotimehin, Executive Director of the United Nations Population Fund said:
“Many rural women have limited autonomy and low status, which puts them at increased risk of hunger, gender-based violence and other human rights violations. Advancing rural women's political, social and economic status are vital ends in themselves as well as critical strategies to eradicate poverty, promote women's rights and pave the way for sustainable development.”
At OVW, we see this day as an opportunity to raise awareness about issues that disproportionately affect women, and to mobilize for meaningful change. I would be remiss if I didn’t take this opportunity to review some sobering statistics that keep us focused on the need to ensure the safety of our sisters, mothers, and female friends:
- One in every four women has experienced domestic violence during her lifetime.
- Stalkers victimize approximately 2.53 million women each year in the U.S, with domestic violence-related stalking the most common type of stalking and the most dangerous.
- Over one million women in the U.S. are raped every year.
Updated April 27, 2017
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