The Commonwealth announced on Monday — International Day for the Elimination of Violence Against Women — that it was teaming up with the NO MORE Foundation, a global movement of 1,400 organizations working to stop domestic and s.e.xual abuse.
Domestic violence is a pandemic that costs billions of dollars a year, be it in lost work, damaged children or police time, Commonwealth Secretary-General Patricia Scotland said.
“There’s no point in saying it’s someone else’s business. This is like a pandemic. It’s everybody’s business,” she said.
Violence in the home often affects a victim’s work and increases absenteeism, she said. It also costs the health services, police, and criminal justice systems and may set back any children in the family, with repercussions for their future.
“If we don’t have peace in our homes, we are very unlikely to have peace in our world,” she said.
About one in three women worldwide has suffered physical or sexual violence, most frequently by a partner, but it often goes unreported due to stigma, fear and shame, said Scotland.
Globally, only two-thirds of countries have outlawed domestic violence. Among Commonwealth countries, 47 have legislation, but 33 do not explicitly criminalize marital rape and only nine offer broad protections for LGBT people.
In other news – Office S.E.X tape of Tshwane mayor Stevens Mokgalapa & MMC Sheila Senkubuge Leaks
In audio circulating from an anonymous source, Tshwane mayor Stevens Mokgalapa can allegedly be heard having s.e.x with the City’s roads and transport MMC, Sheila Senkubuge, supposedly in her office.
Executive Mayor Stevens Mokgalapa and his Roads and Transport Member of the Mayoral Committee, Sheila-Lynn Senkubuge, on Sunday remained mum on an allegation they had s.e.x inside a municipal office. continue reading
Source: Reuters
