Sarah Simpson
USA
USA
Violence against women is a major health problem around the
world and continues to be an important cause of morbidity
and mortality among women. Women
suffer violent deaths either directly or indirectly, and this violence is also
can important cause of morbidities such as mental, physical, sexual and
reproductive health outcomes and is also linked to important risk factors for
poor health, such as alcohol and drug use, smoking and unsafe sex. The problem is so widespread that it has its
own Millennium
Development Goal 3 which seeks to “promote gender equality and empower
women” along with Millennium
Development Goal 5 which seeks to “improve maternal health”. However, in
the light of several publicized acts of violence against women, this important
issue is once again at the forefront of everyday discussion. Some key facts
about violence against women from a United Nations factsheet:
·
A WHO multi-country study found that between
15–71% of women aged 15- 49 years reported physical and/or sexual violence by
an intimate partner at some point in their lives.
·
These forms of violence can result in physical,
mental, sexual, reproductive health and other health problems, and may increase
vulnerability to HIV.
·
Risk factors for being a perpetrator also
include low education, past exposure to child maltreatment or witnessing
violence in the family, harmful use of alcohol, attitudes accepting of violence
and gender inequality.
·
Risk factors for being a victim of intimate
partner and sexual violence include low education, witnessing violence between
parents, exposure to abuse during childhood and attitudes accepting violence
and gender inequality.
In the wake of the world-wide Valentine’s Day One
Billion Rising events calling people everywhere to unite and bring an end
to violence against women, The Guardian’s “Global Development podcast” has
recently released a podcast proceeding
the United Nations Fifty-seventh session of the Commission
on the Status of Women.
In this podcast,
deputy editor of Guardian global development Liz Ford speaks with Irene Khan,
head of the International Development Law Organization; Korto Williams, country
director of ActionAid Liberia; Andrew Long from the U.K. Foreign Office's prevention
of sexual violence in conflict initiative; and Lakshmi Puri, deputy executive
director of U.N. Women, about current global efforts to stop violence against
women.
Against the backdrop of these movements to unite people
world-wide, all eyes will be on policymakers at this upcoming session of the UN
Commission on the Status of Women to produce and deliver results abroad and
even in the United States. Recently, two
UN experts addressed the US State House of Representatives to approve the Violence
Against Women Act (VAWA) which lapsed in 2011. Overall, the impact of
violence against women needs to continue to be researched and explored from a
public health perspective.
Sarah Simpson is an aspiring global health professional
currently pursuing her Master of Public Health, Epidemiology degree at the
University of Medicine and Dentistry of New Jersey.
