Women's Day Marks Crisis of Poverty, Violence

On Sunday, International Women's Day, women across the globe rallied to demand equal rights and an end to the discrimination they face in their respective countries. While women in the West mainly addressed issues like pay parity and equal employment opportunities, those in the developing world focused on the violence and cultural attitudes that endanger their lives.

Worldwide, UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon said one woman in five has been a victim of rape or attempted rape, and in some countries one woman in three has been beaten or subjected to some type of violent act. Governments have a responsibility to investigate and prosecute those responsible for violent sex crimes against women, said the Colombian office of the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights.

In Africa, activists called attention to the common practice of using women and children as weapons of war. Some 10,000 women marched in the streets of Kinshasa, Democratic Republic of Congo, to protest the violence they face. "The desires of Congolese women are clear: stop rape, stop HIV/AIDS, and stop other human rights violations against women and children," said Marie-Ange Lukiana Mufwankolo, the country's family minister.

An independent UN expert warned that Muslim women around the world face a "growing crisis" as Islamic governments fail to honor their commitments to end inequality and violence against them. Yakin Erturk, UN rapporteur on violence against women, told a recent conference in Malaysia that women must demand their governments make good on pledges to ensure their safety.

Shukria Barakzai, an Afghan member of parliament, pressed for an end to forced and child marriages -- practices still common in Afghanistan. "I myself am a victim of male violence against women in this country," she said. "My husband married his second wife without even telling me."

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