Together we can end violence against women

Violence does not know age, it does not know race and it does not know social, financial and political status. Violence is widespread and not specific to geographical regions. Violence against women, contrary to what mainstream media tells us, is not limited to poverty stricken areas of the world with low literacy rates and lack of education. It can happen to any woman and that’s why it is so important that we find a solution that works.

Every day, there are women across the world being raped and abused physically and verbally. The statistics are rising at an alarming rate. Global surveys reveal that an estimated 35 per cent of women worldwide have had violence committed against them.

While there are differing opinions about what constitutes the violence against women, the most comprehensive definition is, in my opinion, laid out by the United Nations as “any act of gender-based violence that results in, or is likely to result in, physical, sexual or mental harm or suffering to women, including threats of such acts, coercion or arbitrary deprivation of liberty, whether occurring in public or in private life.”

What’s interesting in this definition is that it points out violence that is “likely to result in” meaning that violence against women is much broader that just physical harm.

Awareness is only a third of the solution, we need to look at the underlying causes of violence against women as well as provide services and support to those that have been through it to treat the emotional and physical wounds left behind from it. The other part of the solution, and perhaps the most uncomfortable for some, is to address social causes such as misogyny, gender inequality and the constant everyday objectification of women.

Last, and certainly not the least, is policy. Global agreements, treaties and worldwide policies protecting women and condemning acts of violence against them must be made within a framework that is flexible in terms of updating and rigid in terms of consequences for the perpetrators.

I believe that these three elements when put together will create a holistic approach to tackling and preventing further violence against women. The road is still unpaved and the journey will be difficult. There are unforeseen circumstances and unmapped territory. The hurdles are countless and dangerous but the journey of a thousand miles starts with a single step. Together we can put an end to violence against women.

- The reader is an Emirati event coordinator based in Dubai