Say No to Violence Against Women

I recently learned about a UNIFEM campaign called Say No to Violence. According to UNIFEM, 1 in 3 women will be beaten, abused or worse in their lifetime. I remember before the war in Afghanistan, there was a lot of press about how the Taliban treated women and efforts to address it. But the subject seemed to drop off the radar.

Fortunately, UNIFEM is helping fight the abuse of women around the globe. You can help too, by signing the petition (in the widget at the end of this post). Their goal is 1,000,000 signatures by November 24.

For more information, take the following quiz and visit http://www.unifem.org/:

1. According to a United Nations report, how many women worldwide have experienced violence in their lives?
a. 1 out of every 3 women
b. 1 out of every 5 women
c. 1 out of every 10 women
ANSWER: (a) 1 out of every 3 women -- At least one out of every three women around the world has been beaten, coerced into sex, or otherwise abused in her lifetime - with the abuser usually someone known to her. Perhaps the most pervasive human rights violation that we know today, it devastates lives, fractures communities, and stalls development.

2. What percentage of women who die by homicide are killed by a former or current husband or partner?
a. 20%
b. 50%
c. 70%
ANSWER: (b) 50% -- Based on several surveys from around the world, half of the women who die from homicides are killed by their current or former husbands or partners. Women are killed by people they know and die from gun violence, beatings and burns, among numerous other forms of abuse

3. In the United States, a 2003 report estimated that the direct costs of intimate partner violence were:
a. $900 million
b. $1.6 billion
c. $5.8 billion
ANSWER: (c) $5.8 billion -- A 2003 report by the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) estimates that the costs of intimate partner violence in the United States alone exceed US$5.8 billion per year: US$4.1 billion are for direct medical and health care services, while productivity losses account for nearly US$1.8 billion. Violence against women impoverishes individuals, families and communities, reducing the economic development of each nation

4. Which of these risk factors, for women aged 15 to 44 years, rates higher than rape and domestic violence?
a. Cancer
b. War
c. None rated higher
ANSWER: (c) None rated higher -- For women aged 15 to 44 years, violence is a major cause of death and disability. In a 1994 study based on World Bank data about ten selected risk factors facing women in this age group, rape and domestic violence rated higher than cancer, motor vehicle accidents, war and malaria

5. In a clinic in Zambia, how many HIV-positive women opt out of treatment due to fears of violence?
a. 20%
b. 30%
c. 60%
ANSWER: (c) 60% -- For many women, the fear of violence prevents them from declaring their HIV-positive status and seeking help and treatment. A clinic in Zambia reported that 60 percent of eligible women opt out of treatment due to fears of violence and abandonment. In 1998 Gugu Dhlamini was stoned to death by men in her community in South Africa after she declared her HIV-positive status on radio and television on World AIDS Day.