Highlights:

  • New study released June 18 from London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine, South African Medical Research Council, World Health Organization
  • 35% of women around the world are victims of physical/sexual violence
  • 30% of women worldwide experienced intimate partner violence (the most common)
  • In most of the places in the study, only 20 to 30% of the women reported the abuse
  • Women who were separated, divorced, or living with a male partner without being married reported a higher lifetime prevalence of physical or sexual violence
  • Higher educated women experienced lower lifetime prevalence of partner violence
  • 38% of all women murder victims were murdered by intimate partners
  • The study recommends the following courses of action: strengthening national commitment and action, promoting primary prevention, involving the education sector, strengthening the health sector response, supporting women living with violence, sensitizing criminal justice systems, supporting research and collaboration

Seeing actual numbers helps put a reality to the issue, but it does not come as shocking, which is a serious problem.  Besides the abuse itself, the most serous problem is the lack of reporting by the women.  There cannot be help until women start reporting the abuse.  And these men and women will not stop abusing until they face serious consequences.

I also agree with the study in that there needs to be better education when it comes to domestic violence.  This is also true in the case of rape.  No means no and abuse is abuse.  These are such simple concepts; however, the abuse and rape continues to happen because people do not, or are not willing to, understand these concepts.  Until people start talking about rape and abuse as not the woman’s fault, but as a serious problem with the abuser and the rapist, attitudes will not change.  And until there is reporting and a change of dialogue by these issues, things will not change.

One recommendation that I have is a rather simple one, but it can help change your own mindset, and hopefully those that you speak to.  When talking about abuse and rape, do not speak about the woman’s actions.  Do not talk about what she was wearing.  Do not say “she was raped,” but “he raped her.”  Make sure you say as much as possible to put the emphasis on the actor and not the victim.  Although this is a rather minute action, it is a small step which will hopefully make a difference.

Please feel free to comment on the story and provide your own suggestions with this issue.  I hope that you like this format, of providing highlights first, with links to different news stories and studies in a rather concise format.  I want to make all of the information that I provide easy to read, especially if you do not have time to read the whole blog post.

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