Combating Violence and Discrimination Against Women

We are here today because we all share the same goal: to eliminate violence and discrimination against women everywhere. Just last month, two young Indian girls were found dead hanging from a tree after they had been raped and strangled. In Pakistan, a 25-year-old pregnant woman was stoned to death by her family for marrying against their wishes. In April, more than 200 Nigerian school girls were abducted from their boarding school by the terrorist group, Boko Haram. Tragically even in the year 2014, the state of women around the world remains precarious. Every day women and girls endure horrific acts of violence in their homes and communities. Women are raped, beaten, disfigured by acid, forcibly married, trafficked and sold as slaves. They are denied basic rights-such as the opportunity to get an education, to see a doctor, try to make a living outside the home-simply because of their gender.