More women and girls die each day because of various forms of gender-based discrimination than as a result of any other type of human rights abuse. Every year a vast number of women and young girls are mutilated, battered to death, burned alive, raped, trafficked for domestic or sexual purposes, primarily because they are female. Women continue to be treated as second class citizens in many parts of the world and are subjected to discriminatory laws and practices, often in the name of religion, tradition or culture. In Pakistan for example, hundreds of women every year are killed in the name of honour, yet despite the illegality of such practices, they continue to occur because of the indifference and gender bias of the Pakistan authorities. In some countries, young girls and women continue to be forcibly circumcised despite being outlawed by national legislation.
Women are particularly at risk in areas of armed conflict.
In addition, refugee or internally displaced women and young girls, who are often relied upon to care for the young, the sick and the elderly in unfamiliar and hostile surroundings, are vulnerable to rape and sexual abuse at state borders and in refugee camps. Amnesty International has also received reports of sexual violence against female East Timorese refugees in West Timor, reportedly committed by Indonesian security forces and militia groups in September 1999. Similarly, in Burundi, the organization has learnt of women and young girls who were raped in October and November last year by members of the Burundi security forces in or near regroupment camps set up by the government. Universal ratification of the Women's Convention by the year 2000 was one of the goals of the Beijing Conference. However, many governments, including the USA, have still not ratified the Convention.