Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon initiated a new, multi-year global campaign against violence against women last week. His goal is to bring together members of the United Nations, state governments, and general society to address this issue which he says "cannot wait." In his speech kicking off the campaign, Mr. Ban acknowledged that one in three women would likely be subject to violence in their lifetimes, that violence against women is used as a tactic of war, and that violence against women slows any goal of social and economic growth. Mr Ban stated: "But there is one universal truth, applicable to all countries, cultures and communities: violence against women is never acceptable, never excusable, never tolerable.”
Mr. Ban has therefore set the campaign target year as 2015, the same target year as the international "Millennium Development Goals." The hope is that the Secretary-General's move will bring urgency to the issue of women's rights and stopping violence against women.
Compiled from: "We 'cannot wait' to end violence against women--Secretary-General Ban," UN News Center, 25 February 2008.