The Executive Director of the United Nations Children’s Fund, has described violence against women and girls as a silent pandemic.
She made this known in her remarks at the launch of Spotlight Initiative report, targeted at ending violence against women.
Her speech was made available on the UNICEF official site on Friday with the title, ‘Remarks by UNICEF Executive Director Henrietta Fore at the launch of the Spotlight Initiative Impact Report 2020-2021’.
She said, “Violence against women and girls is a silent pandemic. It is one we can treat only by working together.
“That is why I so proud of the joint efforts of UNICEF, our sister agencies, and the European Union in The Spotlight Initiative.
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“The initiative is the world’s largest targeted effort to end all forms of violence against women and girls. It is working to change the harmful social and gender norms that underpin violence. And it is improving access to – and the quality of – essential services for survivors of violence.”
According to her, UNICEF and Spotlight are currently working in Malawi, El Salvador, and Niger, to tackle child violence and early marriage.
Our commitment has never been more necessary: Over the past two years, the COVID-19 pandemic has disrupted or closed key services, including in health facilities and schools. Meanwhile, economic pressures in many countries are increasing the risk of violence,” Fore said.
In the closing remarks, she added, “Violence against girls and women is preventable, and change is possible. Girls and women are leading this change; let us continue to support them.”
