Violence against Women and Girls Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Violence against Women and Girls - Essay Example Although some international and regional instruments of law have put in place the necessary measures for the states to use in order to cub, eradicate and even punish violence against young girls and women by demanding that the states ought to take the necessary measures to combat the violence, there has however continued prevalence of these vice. The Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women (CEDAW) indicates that the vice has grown to a global pandemic of alarming proportions which is yet to be addressed with all the appropriate political commitment as well as resources. According to UNIFEM (2010), approximately six out of every ten women in post conflict countries have experienced sexual or physical violence in their lifetime. A study by World Health Organization related to some twenty four thousand women in some ten countries indicates that prevalence of physical and sexual violence by a woman's partner ranged from 15 % in most urban areas of developed countries to a range of 30 - 60 % in most rural areas of post conflict states (UNIFEM, 2010). In most of these states, the violence against young girls and women have had some far reaching aftermath including so much harm to the families and communities affected. It has become a major source of disability or even death for girls and women of 16 up to 44 years of age. A World Bank investigation into some selected risk factors facing women and girls at the indicated age group showed that rape and domestic violence have emerged as more dangerous to the affected ladies than war, malaria, motor vehicle accidents and cancer. There has also been a close association between these kind of violence and HIV and AIFDS with a survey showing that there are some 1,366 women from South African region who have been beaten by the life partners and were more likely to be infected with HIV more than those who were not. Gender-related violence violates human rights as well as hampering of human productivity, reduction of human capital and undermining of economic growth to the affected lives. The US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention report in 2003 indicated that the intimate partner violence costs in the USA alone have been found to exceed US$ 5.8 billion a year with US $ 4.1 billion being budgeted for direct medical as well as services related to health care (UNIFEM, 2010). Young girls at the tender age have unfortunately happened to be majority victims of sexual assault. Other group that has become subject to unwarranted sexual coercion is women who are in position of abject dependence on male power. Rape cases have also been high in post-conflict countries. This has been very much documented in the last few years in countries affected by civil conflicts. Rape in such cases has been employed systematically as a torture instrument or even domination of ethnic groups (Gender Equality, 2009). Although there has been indication of growth of the vice, some efforts by the post conflict nations in addressing the vice need to be put in place in preventing this situation. Some 89 post conflict countries in 2006 have installed some legislation measures targeting prevention of the domestic violence and plans of action. In most of these states, marital rape has become prosecutable