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Around the world, activists have broken much of the silence surrounding gender-based violence and forged commitments to end it. Yet, no nation can claim that the female half of its population is safe and free. Gender-based violence, whether it occurs on the streets or in homes, affects women of every nation, belief, class, race and ethnic group. It is perpetrated by men, silenced by custom, institutionalized in laws and state systems, and passed from one generation to the next.

In the early 1990s, violence against women was still a taboo issue for many, including most governments. A few would not even admit that it took place within their borders, let alone acknowledge responsibility for devising policies or allocating funds for the programmes and services to address it. One problem was a lack of data. National statistics that could illuminate the extent of the problem were not generally available due to the absence of large and representative surveys. Neither newly adopted legislation in a handful of countries nor the increasing demands for special services to attend victims of violence had persuaded government officials that this was a relevant issue for development, one that transcended national boundaries.

Meanwhile, UNIFEM was hearing increasingly from its regional offices about the problems in women's domestic life that were hindering their participation in the economic, social and political life of their communities. In 1991, I was asked to prepare a policy paper for UNIFEM explaining why an organization working on women and development needed to address violence against women as a development issue. As I took up this task, the voices of the women I had worked with in Peru and had met from around the world echoed in what I was seeing: violence against women is central to any attempt at bringing about social development and human rights for women.

Gender - Based Violence: A Global Issue

The life-cycle of violence starts with sex-selective abortion and infanticide in countries where girls are valued less than boys or considered an economic burden. From infancy, girls may receive less food, less medical care and less education than their male siblings. From girlhood into adulthood, women continue to be at risk. The World Health Organization (WHO) estimates that one woman out of every five will be a victim of rape or attempted rape in her lifetime. Each year thousands of women and girls are trafficked into forced prostitution. Country-level studies estimate 20 to 50 per cent of women have experienced domestic violence, making it the most prevalent form of gender-based violence. Even elderly women increasingly suffer from neglect and abuse. Physical and sexual violence are linked with psychological violence and economic disparities. Women abused by their husbands physically are most often terrorized psychologically, resulting in a loss of mental and emotional well-being as well as reduced capacity to earn an income. Women who are financially dependent on men, who control most of the economic resources, are often ill-equipped to break free of dependence. Limited access to education may also narrow their options. A subordinate position and lack of education, often combined with poverty, make women and girls more susceptible to sexual trafficking and prostitution. In every society, gender-based violence is perpetuated through social and cultural norms and traditions, reinforcing male-dominated power structures. Women are taught from childhood that they are inferior to men and often to blame for the violence inflicted upon them. As wives or partners, they must hold the family together, at any cost. Women and men both learn to turn a blind eye to, or accept, gender-based violence.

Trust Fund grantee Bandana Rana, in Nepal, observes, "Violence like wife beating is considered a natural part of our society. Many don¹t even consider it a form of abuse." Society defines roles for men as well as women, starting from an early age. Boys may be taunted for showing emotions and vulnerability. All too often, they are taught to resolve conflicts with their fists, and they are not permitted to shed tears. Expected to be bread winners, men who are unable to provide for their families feel shamed, and take out their frustrations on those less powerful: their wives and children. Socialization reinforces early messages about men's power and control over women. As a result, if a woman crosses a man or fails to carry out what he perceives as her "duties," he might feel justified in abusing her. Men may be encouraged to exert violence in the name of family honour, and throughout history there are countless examples of rape and sexual violence as expressions of national or ethnic superiority. Laws and legal procedures condone violence against women, allowing men to act with impunity. Family law in some countries upholds a man's "right" to discipline his wife. Rape is often treated as a crime of passion rather than a misogynist act. Agents of the state, from police to judges to health-care professionals, frequently see domestic violence as a private matter and believe that they have no responsibility to intervene. These attitudes reflect those of society at large. As a Supreme Court advocate in India observes, "Judges come from the same society as the abusers. They are the same men who would tell their daughter, don't report a rape because it would humiliate you and it would bring a bad name to your family."

Recently, governments and international organizations have begun to recognize the socio-economic costs of violence. While this helps highlight the problem for policy-makers, it should not obscure the fact that gender-based violence is a human rights issue. In examining the "costs" to society, we should not lose sight of the physical and psychological cost to the individual. Nor should we minimize the ways that violence robs women of freedom and liberty.

Finally, we should not forget that gender-based violence and discrimination take more women¹s lives than any other human rights violation. These facts are reason enough for governments to assist survivors and make it a priority to take steps to eradicate gender-based violence.