Eliminating Violence Against Women: A Call to Action on World Day

Strategic Insights -

As the world marks the United Nations International Day for the Elimination of Violence Against Women, the United States has a unique opportunity to reaffirm its commitment to ending this global scourge. The American Bar Association has a longstanding history of advocating for women's rights and combating gender-based violence, both domestically and internationally. However, despite progress made, much work remains to be done to ensure that all women and girls live free from violence and discrimination.

Key Takeaways:

  • The American Bar Association has a long history of supporting women's rights and combating gender-based violence, both domestically and globally.
  • The ABA is promoting an initiative to develop a multilateral mechanism to impose civil responsibility on states that use sexual violence as a tool of war and create a system for reparations to victims.
  • The International Violence Against Women Act, bipartisan legislation, aims to incorporate efforts to prevent and respond to violence against women and girls into U.S. foreign policy and foreign assistance programs.
  • The United States has the opportunity to reaffirm its leadership by ratifying the U.N. Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination Against Women (CEDAW), a treaty ratified by 186 nations.
  • Only six nations have failed to ratify CEDAW, making the U.S. an outlier in its commitment to human rights.
  • The ABA's Commission on Women in the Profession and Commission on Domestic Violence are crucial in combating violence against women in the United States.
  • The ABA Rule of Law Initiative (ROLI) works to promote the rule of law and reduce violence against women globally.

Statistics:

  • 186 nations have ratified the U.N. Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination Against Women (CEDAW).
  • Only six nations have failed to ratify CEDAW: the United States, and five unidentified countries.
  • The U.N. estimates that one in three women worldwide will experience physical or sexual violence in their lifetime.
  • In the United States, an estimated 1 in 5 women and 1 in 71 men have been raped at some point in their lives.
  • Domestic violence accounts for approximately 22% of all violent crimes reported in the United States.

Sources:

  • American Bar Association, "Eliminating Violence Against Women: A Call to Action on World Day"
  • United Nations, Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination Against Women (CEDAW)
  • United Nations, World Report on Violence Against Women and Girls