women

international womens’ day 2006 - Hard facts

www.socialistworld.net, 01/03/2006
website of the committee for a workers' international, CWI

Compiled from United Nations and other reports

International Women’s day. The hard facts.

More than 135 million girls and women world-wide have been the victims of genital mutilation (female circumcision). A further two million are at risk of being subjected to this practice every year.
At least one in three women - or up to one billion - have been abused or forced to have sexual intercourse during their lifetime.
The perpetrator is usually a family member or somebody the woman knows.
In the USA, one woman is abused every 15 seconds, usually by her partner.
In Russia, every day 36,000 women are abused by their husbands or partners.
Around 70% of female homicide victims are killed by their male partner.
In Kenya, it is reported that more than one woman every week is killed by a male partner.
In Spain, every 5 days one woman is killed by her male partner.
Rape is the worst form of sexual abuse.
It often leads to unwanted pregnancies and sexually transmitted diseases such as HIV/Aids. Only a fraction of rapes are being reported and fewer still lead to court trials and convictions. One in five women globally will be a victim of rape or attempted rape during her lifetime.
In South Africa two rapes take place every minute.
In the USA one woman is raped every 90 seconds.
Violence against women in armed conflicts has reached epidemic proportions.
Mass rapes are systematically used as an instrument for terror.
In Bosnia/Herzegovina 20,000 - 50,000 women were raped during the civil war of 1992-95.
The bulk of refugees and people forcibly removed from their homes are women and children.

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Committee for a Workers' International
PO Box 3688, London E11 1YE, Britain, Tel: ++ 44 20 8988 8760, Fax: ++ 44 20 8988 8793, cwi@worldsoc.co.uk