UN urges young men help break stereotype of violence
(November 25, 2011) The United Nations chief has urged harnessing the energy, ideas
and leadership of young people to help end the pandemic of violence against women
saying the scourge is one of most significant barriers to gender equality. “Violence
— and in many cases the mere threat of it — is one of the most significant barriers
to women’s full equality,” said UN Secretary-general Ban Ki-moon in his message for
this year’s International Day for the Elimination of Violence against Women, observed
on Friday. He noted that violence against women and girls takes many forms and is
widespread throughout the globe. It includes rape, domestic violence, harassment
at work, abuse in school, female genital mutilation and sexual violence in armed conflicts,
which are predominantly inflicted by men. The UN chief urged that particularly young
men and boys be encouraged to become the advocates of “zero tolerance” towards violence
against women and girls. Healthy models of masculinity needs to be promoted, Ban
said, lamenting that too many young men still grow up surrounded by outmoded male
stereotypes. Earlier on Nov. 23 at a special event to mark the International Day
for the Elimination of Violence Against Women on the occasion of the 15 anniversary
of the establishment of the U.N. Trust Fund to End Violence Against Women, Ban Ki-Moon
appealed for a massive increase in funds. He said despite grants worth $77 million
to 339 initiatives in 126 countries in the 15 years, demand continues to outstrip
resources with the trust fund receiving more 2,500 applications this year alone.
Ban’s own campaign called “UNiTE to End Violence against Women” launched in 2008 has
received fund from this trust.