NGO's, governments and international organizations formed partnerships to explore women's issues and bring about change. Women around the world continue to face enormous obstacles that prevent their participation in political and economic life. In large part due to governments' laws and practices, women are disproportionately poor, denied the right to privacy, discriminated against in employment opportunities outside the home, and forced into sexual slavery. Throughout 1997 many laws designed to protect the human rights of women remained unenforced. Violence against women, both inside and outside the home, remains a widespread and entrenched violation of women's human rights around the world.
Domestic violence continues to be a problem in virtually every country.
The continued violent and harmful practice of female genital mutilation violates women's human rights with devastating physical health and psychological consequences. Increasing numbers of women and girls are trafficked and exploited for the purpose of prostitution, domestic servitude and forced labor. Women's voices often remain silenced. In short, despite the strides taken by women, governments, and international organizations in 1997, there is much work to be done to assure that women's human rights are respected throughout the world. Notwithstanding this consensus, free trade unions continued in 1997 to face harassment and repression in many countries.