Despite the existence of several legal acts, violence against women still exists at a domestic, national and global level. It’s a real shame that in a society where we consider everybody equal, women are still being beaten, raped, or killed. This is nothing but a violation of one of the most important human rights, which is living a violence-free life.

Like it or not, there are millions of women who are victims of violence in both nations plagued with war and in those where peace is known to prevail. Read on to know more about this harsh reality that many have to still face today—violence against women.

History Provides Evidence

It was only in the late nineteenth and the early twentieth century that women began to be seen as equals in what was until then a patriarchal, male-dominated society. After much hardship and struggle, women were granted equality to their male counterparts. But, centuries of history just won’t allow women to enjoy this right.
It is time that governments all across the world take heed of the issue and strive to protect women from not only gender-based bias, but gender-based violence as well.

You would be startled to know that at least one woman out of three across the world has been beaten, abused or has been forced into a sexual act. Do you know that as of 1997, according to the WHO, 135 million women suffered genital mutilation? In many nations across the world (which includes developed nations like the US and Britain) women are forced into sexual slavery and prostitution. When it comes to domestic violence against women, the horrendous incidents of acid throwing, breast ironing, bride burning, rape, foot binding, honor killing, etc., are only increasing by the day.

Unfortunately, the ever-increasing accounts of discrimination against women are only expanding the divide between men and women, as far as power and superiority are concerned. While we should actually be looking at how to curb the ongoing violence against women, the situation is proving to be otherwise.

The Discrimination

Another catalyst that adds to this ongoing problem is discrimination. Women across the world are being discriminated on the grounds of ethnicity, race, social status, age, religion and sexual identity.

Discrimination is only adding to women’s woes, making them even more vulnerable and susceptible to violence. Not only that, the very same discrimination has become a very big hurdle in obtaining justice.

It is high time that nations around the world protect women and offer them justice by strictly implementing the laws that are there to uphold women’s rights. It is the implementation failure of the laws that is allowing many offenders to go unscathed, despite violating the rights of women. Such offenders should be made an example of so that one would have to think twice before wanting to act violently against women.

A Few Facts Providing, Plenty to Think About

Getting raped by a stranger, or even a husband, sometimes creates severe health problems in women. Not only that, one is also violating a woman’s human right by committing this forceful act. According to a WHO study, nearly 71 percent of women have reported to have suffered an act of sexual violence at some point in their lives.

The physical, mental and sexual repercussions that a woman has to suffer because of sexual violence are many, and some of these women are also known to become vulnerable to contracting HIV.

The following factors are known to increase the risk of violence against women: alcohol, lack of education and gender-inequality experiences of child maltreatment.

Violence against women is a real shame, considering the civilization we live in today. Each one of us has to do our part to make sure that the dignity of the female counterparts remains intact.