Members of United Nations institutions such as the U.N. Development Fund for Women (UNIFEM) are advocating for a formal emphasis on combating violence against women. An article published by the Inter Press Service News Agency reported that an official effort to combat violence against women is not part of the U.N.’s Millennium Development Goals (MGDs). The issue of this ‘missing goal’, as it is named by the executive director of UNIFEM, is something that must be confronted. The article notes that Secretary General Ban Ki-moon has framed violence against women as a human rights issue that, if left unaddressed, could negatively impact the chance of reaching some of the MGDs. Additionally, Maria José Alcalá, a senior advisor at UNIFEM, emphasized that violence against women is not something that can be relegated to one region of the world—it exists everywhere. According to the article, there is a growing consensus to address rape as a weapon of war, domestic violence, and female genital mutilation, all of which have an extremely negative impact on women. Alcalá noted that violence against women could not be deemed a ‘woman’s issue’—it had to be addressed as a human rights issue affecting everyone. The article concludes by reporting on a new U.N. database on violence against women that is currently being constructed.
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Compiled from: Manke, Monika. “Women Fight to put Violence on Global Agenda”, Inter Press Service News Agency, 17 September, 2008.