International Day for the Elimination of Violence against Women
Press Statement
Hillary Rodham Clinton
Secretary of State
Washington, DC
November 25, 2011
Today,
on the International Day for the Elimination of Violence Against Women,
we are reminded of the horrific acts of violence against women that
take place every day around the world and pledge to recommit ourselves
to changing attitudes and ending all forms of violence against women and
girls.
Gender-based violence is a global pandemic that cuts
across all borders and impacts all peoples and societies – regardless of
ethnicity, race, socio-economic status, or religion. One in three women
around the world will experience some form of gender-based violence in
her lifetime. The medical, security, and legal costs to countries are
incalculable. It dampens economic development and tears at the fabric of
societies. The health costs to women includes not only the detrimental
impact on their physical well-being, such as increased susceptibility to
HIV infection, but also mental health costs for both women and their
children.
We need to improve our efforts to prevent and respond to
this crisis. When women are afforded their rights and given the chance
to pursue education, employment, and political participation, they drive
social and economic progress. They lift up themselves, their families,
communities, and their nations. But to build this future girls must be
able to learn without fear and women must be able to make decisions
about their own lives and the future of their families.
Prevention,
protection and prosecution are essential to combating this violence.
But we must add a fourth “P” as well – Priority. Empowering women and
girls is already a priority of the United States, but we need more
countries to step up and take on this challenge. The International Day
for the Elimination of Violence Against Women and the 16 days Campaign
Against Gender-Based Violence is an opportunity to renew the commitment
to free women and girls from the nightmare of violence, because the
future safety and security of our world depends on it.
