USA: New U.S. Strategy to End Gender-Based Violence Globally

In 2008, United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon launched the UNiTE to End Violence against Women campaign, a multi-year effort to prevent and eliminate violence against women and girls around the world.

• The campaign asks governments by 2015 to achieve 5 goals:
  
• Adopt and enforce national laws to address and punish all forms of violence against women and girls
  
• Adopt and implement multi-sectoral national action plans
  
• Strengthen data collection on the prevalence of violence against women and girls
  
• Increase public awareness and social mobilization
  
• Address sexual violence in conflict

The December 2011 introduction of the U.S. National Action Plan on Women, Peace and Security was a significant step toward fulfilling these goals. President Obama took further action on August 10, 2012 by issuing an Executive Order on Preventing and Responding to Violence Against Women and Girls Globally. Here is a statement by Melanne Verveer, Ambassador-at-Large for Global Women's Issues, about this new strategy to respond to gender-based violence.