Treasure 
Addressing Violence against Women and Girls
Violence against women and girls(VAWG) is a viral disease and human rights violation that threatens women and girls in our society. Perpetrators usually claim women need to be taught a lesson and it often doesn’t leave physical marks so it can be missed by the public.
VAWG is usually caused by the unequal power relations between men and women and needs the urgency of global commitment to eliminate all forms of it. Key public actors must take necessary measures to ensure women and girls don’t get abused or violated. This is because it has a long-term devastating effect on the lives of victims, their community, and society.
According to statistics, 1 in 3 women has experienced violence by most likely an intimate partner (husband or boyfriend) or family members. This means that around the world about 35% percent of women will be beaten and psychologically or sexually abused in their lifetime.
That amounts to over one billion women worldwide?
This is worrisome!
Why are women in our society mostly regarded as second-class citizens and Why does our society have no real interest in dealing with issues that affect women and girls?
This practice has left a lot of room for evil to flourish!
Marginalized women, such as poor women and girls, are most likely to experience violence in their lifetime. Violence against women and girls takes many forms. Such as:
Rape, domestic violence, forced and child marriages, sex trafficking, female genital mutilation, honor killings, and intimate partner violence (which can be sexual, physical, financial, emotional, or psychological)
These human rights violations has some serious consequences like decreased productivity, traumatic brain injury, depression, low birth weight, increased infant mortality, homicide, and suicide.
Ways to address violence against women and girls
Through Education and Intervention on Gender Equality:
Education will drastically change social norms and reduce VAWG. It will usher in a new era of fairness of treatment for women and girls in terms of rights, benefits, obligations and opportunities. This can make them realize their full potential and achieve their dreams.
Since violence against women and girls can lead to injuries as well as other health problems, It’s essential for health systems worldwide to recognize it as a health problem…..a disease!
THEREFORE….
Government has to ensure health care providers are given the appropriate training that can enable them respond better to such cases as clinics are most likely, one of the fewer places victims may be allowed to go alone.
Such training will enable them have the professional ability to ask the right questions and link women to other services that can help them as well. Government should also challenge social norms that accept violence against women and girls and encourage women to earn a living.
It’s time for us all, YOU and I to end VAWG.
Unquestionably believe this, 1 in 3 women in your family have been beaten, raped or psychologically abused.
Why don’t you give that a thought?
Violence against women and girls remains one of the most devastating global human rights violation.
LET’S GIVE THE RED CARD TO VIOLENCE AGAINST WOMEN AND GIRLS.
