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Somali men – both young and old – must be
engaged in the struggle to end violence against women and girls.
In Somalia, many women and girls are silent victims of violence, human
trafficking, beatings, rape, child marriage, and female genital
mutilation. Violence causes death, sickness, disability and trauma. The
majority of the women and girls lack proper avenues to report their
plight, and many remain silent out of fear of being ostracized or killed
by their own families. Violence is too often shrouded in silence and too
seldom punished.
“Violence against women and girls is not a women’s issue, it is an issue
that concerns and diminishes us all. No custom, tradition or religion
can justify cruel and degrading treatment”, says Mark Bowden, UN
Resident and Humanitarian Coordinator for Somalia.
This year’s International Women’s Day, celebrated globally on 8 March
2009, provides an opportunity to call men and women to action and public
dialogue on violence against women and girls. Violence against women and
girls is not only a gross violation of human rights, but also has
enormous social and economic costs, and undermines the contribution of
women to development, peace and security. Furthermore, it defies
international humanitarian law and poses a serious threat to the
achievement of internationally agreed development goals, including the
Millennium Development Goals.
The government, civil society, women’s organisations, men’s
organisations, youth groups, the private sector, the media and
individual men and women must join forces with the UN in addressing this
issue. We need to combat attitudes and behaviour that condone, tolerate,
excuse or ignore violence committed against women and girls. National
laws should be properly and effectively enforced to address and punish
all forms of violence against women and girls.
The UN continues to support local campaigns and social mobilization
efforts in Somalia that aim at ending and preventing violence against
women and girls. This includes providing access and support to abused
women and girls through strengthening existing referral systems and
championing zero-tolerance of violence against women and girls.
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