The world has identified violence against women in its various forms as a clear violation of women's rights. Laws have been enacted, at the international, regional and national levels, to confront what should always have been considered unconscionable. Yet much remains to be done. As we stand on the threshold of the new millenium, we are confronted by challenges both new and old. At the forefront of the new is the way women are affected by the negative side of globalization.
Women are usually the first to loose their jobs as governments restructure and companies retrench.
Women are more likely to be unemployed or underemployed. If employed, they are more likely than men to be found in poorly paid and insecure jobs. And they are more likely to suffer financially the consequences of the break-up of the family. It is therefore an issue of moral concern for us in the United Nations. It presents us with a duty to set an example.