05/03/2004

Violence against women is a 'cancer' and must end: Amnesty

Violence against women is a "cancer" eating away at the core of every society across the globe, Amnesty International has said at the launch of a new campaign.

The human rights agency's Secretary General, Irene Khan, today accused governments of failing to address the "real 'terror' of our world" which is faced by millions of women every day.

Publishing a new report outlining the scale of the problem, Amnesty International said that at least one-in-three women in the world will suffer serious violence in their lifetime.

The 122-page report, 'It's in our hands – Stop violence against women', showed that whether in times of peace or war, women are being subjected to atrocities simply because they are women. The report has called on the governments to act – both to enact new laws and enforce existing ones that are often ignored – to "prevent millions of women being beaten, raped, murdered, assaulted, mutilated and even denied the right to ever exist".

'Cultural' practices such as female genital mutilation, which affects 135 million girls and women globally, and so-called 'honour' killings are major factors in violence against women around the world, Amnesty International said.

The human rights organisation's campaign states that "living in safety is a universal right, not a privilege" for women.

(gmcg)

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