There have been sustained efforts by the United Nations, international organizations, governments, and the private sector to prevent and curb violence against women and girls. Nevertheless, it is still among the most prevalent forms of human rights abuses worldwide. The common category of violence of this nature is committed by males versus their spouses or partners.
Domestic violence is considered violation of human rights which happens everywhere and across all social classes and ethnic groups. According to research, more than 30 percent of women in a relationship admitted to having been abused physically or sexually by their mates. The necessity for dealing with such kind of violence against women is manifested in numerous international and regional conferences, pronouncements and resolutions that express disapproval of this cruelty. Moreover, there have been many pleas for governments worldwide to ratify laws on domestic violence against the female gender.
In 2013, the Commission on the Status of Women (CSW) came up with the Agreed Conclusions that reproached all types of violent behavior against women and girls. It also observed that domestic violence continues to be prevalent all over the world.
Historic Move by Nigeria
The most populated country in Sub-Saharan Africa made history in this campaign when Nigeria outlawed female genital mutilation. This was realized through the efforts of former President Goodluck Jonathan who signed the Prohibition Act (Violence against Persons) into a law on May 25, 2015. The legislation forbids genital mutilation of women in Nigeria and disallows men from abandoning their families without giving any financial help. Nigeria has set an example for other nations in Africa and the whole world as well. Unfortunately, over 125 million women and girls have suffered this disfigurement in 29 countries in Africa and the Middle East.
Role of Governments, Communities and Peoples
The deterrence of violence against the weaker sex needs to be collaborative efforts between three major institutions. Governments must take the lead by enacting laws and measures to protect the rights of women. There must be more stringent penalties against those who attempt to break relevant laws. Communities, on the other hand, should be more caring for women and young girls in their respective jurisdictions.
There should be more education campaigns and information dissemination about the rights of women. For their part, private citizens must learn how to respect each other. Men should look up to women and show consideration for their contributions to the family and greater society. There has to be a significant change in the mindset of today’s generations. The United Nations made it very clear that violence against women is the result of gender inequity. There are also detrimental gender typecasts in relation to the roles of women and girls. The truth is domestic violence remains a multifaceted issue and among the causes of unhappiness in today’s society. Abuses may be classified as physical, sexual, emotional, or psychological. Additional studies disclosed that approximately 30 percent of domestic violence starts and worsens during the state of pregnancy. The most vulnerable are persons with physical incapacities and mental disorders.
Equality of Men and Women
Gender inequality is a key concern worldwide. The United Nations calls it a global problem. The most significant gaps are in opportunities along with political and economic participation of women. Despite reforms and efforts of governments and private institutions, women empowerment is far from perfect. In short, equality between men and women is still one-sided or biased. Yes, there are many women managers but the number still does not match the number of male managers in multinational corporations. At the same time, only 22 percent of political leaders and legislators are women. And yet, many women are highly-educated skilled and possess immense leadership qualities.
The realization of absolute equality between men and women is said to be one of the most essential prerequisites for the progress of societies and prosperity all over the world. Rejection of this fairness between genders in any form is an injustice against ½ of the total world population. There is no reason whatsoever that inequality can be justified. The grounds include moral, economic, social, or biological. Women must always be acceptable into full partnership in different aspects of human undertakings.
Women’s Rights
International distribution of ides regarding women’s rights as well as mounting global attention to problems of violence against women is contributing to the changes in outlooks about this dilemma. In less-developed African countries like Zimbabwe, Ethiopia, Uganda, Zambia, Ghana, Tanzania, and Malawi, there have been community meetings, one-stop centers dealing with violence versus women and political lobbying on behalf of women. It is not only in Africa but the rest of the world as well women’s rights must be supported at all times. This is a very big challenge for all stakeholders in modern society.