Brussels, 25 November 2008 : On the occasion of the UN International Day on the Elimination of Violence Against Women, ITUC affiliates in several countries, including Ghana, Sierra Leone, Congo, Japan, Colombia and Great Britain, are organizing activities to mobilize against the trivialization and impunity of the violence that affect women and girls around the world .
Violence against women and girls is often defined as the most socially tolerated of human rights violations, and many women workers, and girls trapped in child labour, experience violence at work. “Violence against women at work is often linked to broader abuse of workers’ rights and gender discrimination in general. Action related to the workplace must be part of overall government action to tackle discrimination and violence against women, including bringing to justice the perpetrators,” said ITUC General Secretary Guy Ryder.
Forms of violence that affect women and girls are multipleand include domestic violence, sexual assault, sexual harassment and human trafficking. Campaigners around the world are highlighting the social, economic, political and religious forces which impact women’s human rights in different ways and how these contribute to forced and early marriages, female genital mutilation, honour killings, dowry-related violence, rape including rape as a weapon of war, female infanticide, and forced sterilisation.
According to a 2005 study by the World Health Organisation (WHO), one out of every three women around the world has been beaten, coerced into sex, or otherwise abused in her lifetime, with the abuser usually someone known to her. It is reported that women between the age of 15 and 44 are at more risk of death or disability from domestic violence than from cancer or other major diseases, motor accidents or war .
Trade unions around the world are stepping up action to raise awareness of the issues of domestic violence and how to obtain help for those affected.
To see the ITUC Brochures “Trade Unions Say No To Violence Against Women and Girls”, please click on the language of your choice:
Trade Unions say no to Violence against Women and Girls
Los sindicatos dicen no a la violencia contra mujeres y niñas
Les syndicats disent non à la violence à l’égard des femmes et des jeunes filles
The ITUC represents 168 million workers in 155 countries and territories and has 311 national affiliates. http://www.ituc-csi.org
For more information, please contact the ITUC Press Department on the following numbers: +32 2 224 0204 or +32 476 621 018.
