International Day for the Elimination of Violence Against Women
Channel: AmbasciataUSA
Date: 25/11/2015

Hello.  I’m John Phillips, the United States Ambassador to Italy here with my wife, Linda Douglass.  We would like to take a moment today to talk to you about an issue we all should care about:  The global scourge of violence against women.  The victims are wives, daughters, mothers, friends and colleagues---women of every race, class and country.  Their attackers are often the men they love and trust the most.

 Globally, one in three women has been the victim of violence by an intimate partner

 38% of women who are murdered around the world are killed by an intimate  partner.  

 In our own country, the United States, 2 million women suffer injuries from domestic violence every year.  This is a crisis that knows no borders. 

The United Nations has declared November 25 the International Day for the Elimination of Violence Against Women. Today, women and men around the world are joining together to say that a civilized world will not tolerate gender-based violence. 

We hope you will join the fight to defend the rights of women and girls around the world.  We are all responsible for ensuring that there is zero tolerance for violence against women. The time to end this shameful practice is now.

Thank you.