News
US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice Says NO to Violence against Women
Date: 19 November 2008
Yesterday in Washington, DC, US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice added her name to the UNIFEM-led Say NO to Violence against Women campaign. Her statement follows:
“One year ago, the United Nations Development Fund for Women (UNIFEM) began its global campaign to advocate among publics and governments for an end to violence against women. In the course of the year, we have taken important steps to address this issue.
“During its June 2008 Security Council Presidency, the United States focused on actions that would follow from UN Security Council Resolution 1325, on ‘Women, Peace, and Security.’ On June 19, the United States chaired an open Security Council thematic discussion on the topic of violence in situations of armed conflict. The debate culminated in adoption of UN Security Council Resolution 1820, which condemns the use of sexual violence in conflict and post-conflict situations.
“Violence against women remains a fact of life in countries worldwide. Like poverty, HIV/AIDS, poor maternal health, and lack of access to education, violence against women is an ill that affects the person, her community, and her nation.
“As the campaign to ‘Say No to Violence against Women’ enters its second year, we should dedicate ourselves to creating awareness among individuals and communities of the great damage violence against women inflicts, and commit ourselves to end this atrocity.”
The UNIFEM-organized Say NO to Violence against Women campaign is a global advocacy and awareness raising effort on ending violence against women, designed to support UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon’s multi-year UNiTE to End Violence against Women campaign. The UNIFEM initiative aims to demonstrate that there is an ever-growing movement of people who Say NO to violence against women and Say YES to make ending it a top priority for governments everywhere. To date, more than 900,000 people have signed on to the campaign. All signatures collected will be delivered to Mr. Ban on 25 November 2008, the International Day for the Elimination of Violence against Women.
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