On the International Day for the Elimination of Violence Against Women, we are reminded of the horrific acts of violence against women that take place every day — in Australia and across the Pacific, in the countries of the Indian Ocean Rim and beyond.
Violence against women persists as one of the most heinous and prevalent human rights abuses. While there is no shortage of good work being done in every country, the statistics remain deeply disturbing, and the impact of violence on individual’s lives and on the well-being of our communities is devastating.
Globally, more than 1 in 3 women has been beaten, coerced into sex, or abused in some other way, most often by someone she knows, including her husband or another male family member. In some parts of the Pacific, the reported rate is as high as 2 in 3 surveyed women. In Australia, one woman is killed every week by a current or former partner.
About the author
Kim Beazley
Kim Beazley is Australia’s ambassador to the United States. A former member of the parliament from 1980-2007, he led the Labor Party from 1996-2001 and again in 2005-2006, when he retired from parliament after losing the leadership to Kevin Rudd, who would become prime minister a year later. Beazley also served as minister in the governments of prime ministers Bob Hawke and Paul Keating, most notably deputy prime minister under Keating in 1995-1996.
