Social Sciences
John Kerry
Secretary of State
Washington, DC
November 25, 2014
Today, we mark the International Day for the Elimination of Violence Against Women, and the start of 16 Days of Activism Against Gender Violence. Over the next two weeks, U.S. embassies and missions around the world will all be working to raise awareness of the irreparable harm caused by gender-based violence.
This issue is seared into me. As a young prosecutor, I saw women and young girls whose lives and families were ripped apart by violence. I will never forget seeing women in dark glasses and long-sleeved shirts worn to cover up the black eyes and bruises of abuse. I couldn?t help but think about them as my two daughters went out into the world. As a Senator, working with Joe Biden and Cathy Russell, long before any of us were in the Administration, I helped pass the Violence Against Women Act.
In recent years, I?ve seen firsthand how much work remains to be done all across the globe, not just here at home. I saw it as a Senator, and I?ve seen it even more as Secretary. On my latest visit to Africa, while in Kinshasa, I toured a fistula clinic at St. Joseph?s Hospital. I spoke with doctors and activists alike who have devoted their life?s work to healing the scars left by sexual violence. And I listened to young women tell heartbreaking stories of their pain and ongoing recovery from the physical and emotional wounds left by their brutal assaults. These women were brave; they were extraordinarily strong. I came away inspired by their determination to make sure that no woman goes through the same ordeal as they did ever again.
Simply put, we must all do more to end violence against women in all its forms, wherever and whenever it occurs, and it starts by acknowledging it. There can be no conspiracy of silence.
The sad truth is that one in three women will experience gender-based violence in her lifetime. This violence knows no class, religious, or racial boundaries. And it comes at a terrible cost ? not only for the woman or girl, but for families, communities, and entire countries. Preventing it is the only way to achieve a future of peace, stability, and prosperity.
Over the past year, the United States has worked to up our game battling gender-based violence across the globe. Through our Gender-based Violence Emergency Response and Protection Initiative, we help meet the immediate security needs of survivors. The Safe from the Start initiative is sending experts into the field to prevent gender-based violence in conflict zones and regions devastated by natural disasters. We are also working to address the scourge of early and forced marriage, most recently launching a program in Benin. And I?m proud to continually support our partnership with Together for Girls to collect data on the consequences of sexual violence against children and provide a foundation to mobilize responses to new outbreaks of violence.
We will not turn away in the face of evil and brutality. We stand up, and we reaffirm that all forms of gender-based violence will be not be tolerated. Not now, not ever.
- Seminar Post
WOMEN'S STUDIES PROGRAMME and CENTRE FOR THE STUDY OF LAW AND GOVERNANCEinvites you to a seminar "Playing Off Courts: Negotiating Divorce and Violence In Courts, Police and Mediation Boards in Kolkata" by Dr. Srimati Basu Associate Professor, Gender...
- Request For Information On Rape And Sexual Violence In Bmer Communities
Dr Aisha Gill (Roehampton University) would like to invite you to submit anonymised cases studies of rape and sexual violence in the BMER community that your organisation or you have dealt with in your work on issues related to violence against women...
- Aisha Gill
Dr Gill (B.A., M.A., PhD (University of Essex)) PGCHE) is a Senior Lecturer in Criminology at the University of Roehampton. Her main areas of interest and research are health and criminal justice responses to violence against Black and Minority Ethnic...
- Us Department Of Justice, Office On Violence Against Women, Consolidated Grant And Tech Assistance Program
The Office on Violence Against Women is pleased to announce the release of the Consolidated Grant and Technical Assistance Program to Address Children and Youth Experiencing Domestic and Sexual Violence and Engage Men and Boys as Allies What: The...
- Understanding Sexual Violence In Conflict, Program March 12th
Memorial to the ComfortWomen in Chiba Prefecture, Japan erected 1973Understanding Sexual Violence in Conflict: Regional Views of the Comfort Women Legacy Featuring Shu-Hua Kang Taipei Women?s Rescue Foundation Mina Watanabe Women?s Active Museum...
Social Sciences
International Day for the Elimination of Violence Against Women
UN End Violence Against Women Campaign
John Kerry
Secretary of State
Washington, DC
November 25, 2014
Today, we mark the International Day for the Elimination of Violence Against Women, and the start of 16 Days of Activism Against Gender Violence. Over the next two weeks, U.S. embassies and missions around the world will all be working to raise awareness of the irreparable harm caused by gender-based violence.
This issue is seared into me. As a young prosecutor, I saw women and young girls whose lives and families were ripped apart by violence. I will never forget seeing women in dark glasses and long-sleeved shirts worn to cover up the black eyes and bruises of abuse. I couldn?t help but think about them as my two daughters went out into the world. As a Senator, working with Joe Biden and Cathy Russell, long before any of us were in the Administration, I helped pass the Violence Against Women Act.
In recent years, I?ve seen firsthand how much work remains to be done all across the globe, not just here at home. I saw it as a Senator, and I?ve seen it even more as Secretary. On my latest visit to Africa, while in Kinshasa, I toured a fistula clinic at St. Joseph?s Hospital. I spoke with doctors and activists alike who have devoted their life?s work to healing the scars left by sexual violence. And I listened to young women tell heartbreaking stories of their pain and ongoing recovery from the physical and emotional wounds left by their brutal assaults. These women were brave; they were extraordinarily strong. I came away inspired by their determination to make sure that no woman goes through the same ordeal as they did ever again.
Simply put, we must all do more to end violence against women in all its forms, wherever and whenever it occurs, and it starts by acknowledging it. There can be no conspiracy of silence.
The sad truth is that one in three women will experience gender-based violence in her lifetime. This violence knows no class, religious, or racial boundaries. And it comes at a terrible cost ? not only for the woman or girl, but for families, communities, and entire countries. Preventing it is the only way to achieve a future of peace, stability, and prosperity.
Over the past year, the United States has worked to up our game battling gender-based violence across the globe. Through our Gender-based Violence Emergency Response and Protection Initiative, we help meet the immediate security needs of survivors. The Safe from the Start initiative is sending experts into the field to prevent gender-based violence in conflict zones and regions devastated by natural disasters. We are also working to address the scourge of early and forced marriage, most recently launching a program in Benin. And I?m proud to continually support our partnership with Together for Girls to collect data on the consequences of sexual violence against children and provide a foundation to mobilize responses to new outbreaks of violence.
We will not turn away in the face of evil and brutality. We stand up, and we reaffirm that all forms of gender-based violence will be not be tolerated. Not now, not ever.
- Seminar Post
WOMEN'S STUDIES PROGRAMME and CENTRE FOR THE STUDY OF LAW AND GOVERNANCEinvites you to a seminar "Playing Off Courts: Negotiating Divorce and Violence In Courts, Police and Mediation Boards in Kolkata" by Dr. Srimati Basu Associate Professor, Gender...
- Request For Information On Rape And Sexual Violence In Bmer Communities
Dr Aisha Gill (Roehampton University) would like to invite you to submit anonymised cases studies of rape and sexual violence in the BMER community that your organisation or you have dealt with in your work on issues related to violence against women...
- Aisha Gill
Dr Gill (B.A., M.A., PhD (University of Essex)) PGCHE) is a Senior Lecturer in Criminology at the University of Roehampton. Her main areas of interest and research are health and criminal justice responses to violence against Black and Minority Ethnic...
- Us Department Of Justice, Office On Violence Against Women, Consolidated Grant And Tech Assistance Program
The Office on Violence Against Women is pleased to announce the release of the Consolidated Grant and Technical Assistance Program to Address Children and Youth Experiencing Domestic and Sexual Violence and Engage Men and Boys as Allies What: The...
- Understanding Sexual Violence In Conflict, Program March 12th
Memorial to the ComfortWomen in Chiba Prefecture, Japan erected 1973Understanding Sexual Violence in Conflict: Regional Views of the Comfort Women Legacy Featuring Shu-Hua Kang Taipei Women?s Rescue Foundation Mina Watanabe Women?s Active Museum...