Kofi Annan, the United Nations Secretary- General has said that violence against women causes untold misery, harms families across generations, and impoverishes communities.

In his world message issued by the UNDP Banjul Office last Saturday, in observance of the ‘International Day for the Elimination of Violence Against Women’ the UN boss said that violence stops women from fulfiling their potential, restricts economic growth, and undermines development, stating that when it comes to violence against women, there are no civilised societies.

Mr Annan added that half of humankind lives under this threat in every continent, country and culture, regardless of their income, class, race or ethnic. groupings “ This is so, even though people live in a world order where human rights have been recognised in law, and guaranteed in international instruments, despite we have learnt that the enjoyment of human rights is essential to the well-being of the individual, the community and the world and even though, at the 2005 World Summit, leaders pledged to redouble efforts to eliminate all forms of violence against war”, he said.

Fighting this scourge, Mr Annan, said requires us to change a mindset which is still too common and deep-seated and, “to demonstrate, once and for all, that when it comes to violence against women, there are no grounds for tolerance and no tolerable excuses”.

According to him, for years, women’s organisations and movements around the world have worked tirelessly to take violence against women out of the private domain into the public sphere and the arena of state accountability.

“Many States have enacted and implemented effective laws, and provided comprehensive and gender-sensitive services to victims. And there has also been progress in creating international standards. It is time to take these efforts to the next level. We in the United Nations must play a stronger, better coordinated and more visible leadership role. Member states must do more to implement international legal and policy framework, of which they have committed themselves. And all of us must form strong and effective partnerships with civil society, which has such a crucial role to play on this issue at every level”, he urged.

Together, he said, “we must work to create an environment where violence against women is not tolerated”. He added that by mandating him to undertake the in-depth study of the violence against women, UN member states have signalled that they are ready to do that. Therefore, he said, with the study, and its recommendations in hand, “we must summon the necessary political commitment and resources”.

The UN boss then called on all and sundry (men and women alike) on this International Day for the Elimination of Violence against Women, to join forces in this mission.