“Thirty years after the first treaty on women’s rights was adopted by the United Nations, millions of cases involving beatings, marital rapes, honor killings and genital mutilation lead to deaths, medical injuries, failed pregnancies, abortions and psychological damage,” according to a GlobalPost article that reports on the rising number of individuals, communities and governments worldwide committing to end violence against women.

“Confronted with mounting deaths and hefty monetary losses, governments worldwide are enacting new laws and more men are becoming part of the solution to end abuse against women,” the news service reports. “At the same time, programs to combat the problem remain grossly under-funded. In 2009, the U.N. received grant requests totaling $857 million but could only provide 1.2 percent of the amount in the form of $10.5 million to fund 13 projects preventing violence – mostly in Africa.”

The article notes how, in 2008, U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon launched a campaign to end violence against women. The campaign will run through 2015, coinciding with the target date for countries to reach the U.N. Millennium Development Goals, which include a focus on gender equality and maternal health. Ban also launched his Network of Men Leaders to combat violence against women in November, the news service writes.

The article includes some country-specific statistics on domestic violence, including the associated costs, examines several laws aimed at increasing protection for women worldwide. The piece also notes the role religious leaders can play in educating the public about the need to end such violence (Sharma, 6/22).