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Violence Against Women

One out of every three women worldwide will be physically, sexually or otherwise abused during her lifetime with rates reaching 70 percent in some countries. This type of violence and abuse ranges from rape to domestic violence and acid burnings to dowry deaths and so-called honor killings. Violence against women and girls is an an extreme human rights violation, a public health epidemic and a barrier to solving global challenges such as extreme poverty, HIV/AIDS and conflict. It devastates the lives of millions of women and girls--- in peacetime and in conflict --- and knows no national or cultural barriers.

We know that violence against women is an atrocious human rights violation that must be stopped. What many people don't know however, is that violence against women is also a major cause of poverty and a huge barrier to economic opportunity - it keeps women from getting an education, working, and earning the income they need to lift their families out of poverty. In Nicaragua, for example, a study found that children of female victims of violence left school an average of four years earlier than other children. In India a survey revealed that women who experienced even a single incident of violence lost an average of seven working days.

Women Thrive Worldwide is one of three organizations leading a nation-wide campaign to end violence against women worldwide with Amnesty International USA and the Family Violence Prevention Fund. The centerpiece of this campaign: the International Violence Against Women Act, a bill that, if passed, would help millions of women in developing countries escape violence and poverty.

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  1. Women Forging New Bonds to Break Old Chains

  2. The International Violence Against Women Act (IVAWA)

    Read more about legislation to help end violence against women worldwide.

  3. Zambia: Unequal Property Rights and Violence Against Women Are Increasing HIV/AIDS

    High levels of gender-based violence (GBV) and unequal property rights for women are contributing to Zambia's HIV/AIDS crisis, according to a new Human Rights Watch report.

  4. IVAWA Introduced in the House!

  5. Thrive on IVAWA - WBAI New York Radio (Audio)

    May 5, 2008 - WBAI New York Radio (Audio)

  6. Rape, Poverty, and War: Congo and Beyond

  7. The Hill on IVAWA

    On June 17, 2008, The Hill published an op-ed by Senators Joseph Biden (D-Del) and Richard Lugar (R-Ind) urging action on I-VAWA, which Women Thrive developed in coalition with Amnesty International and the Family Violence Prevention Fund.

  8. UN Affirms Rape and Sexual Violence Are War Crimes

  9. New Safe House for Victims of Sexual Violence in Liberia

  10. IRC Reports Influx of Rape Cases in Post-Conflict Sierra Leone

  11. RAISE Hope for Congo

  12. Rape Victims’ Words Help Jolt Congo Into Change

  13. Time for Joint Action on HIV/AIDS and Violence

  14. Counting the Costs of Domestic Violence

    A new report from ICRW details the costs of gender-based violence to economic development.

  15. New Policy Permits Asylum for Battered Women

  16. Violence Against Women in Colombia Increases by 10%

  17. Clinton Unveils Plan to Fight Sexual Violence in Congo

  18. Politico: The International Violence Against Women Act

  19. Half The Sky Live!

    Women Thrive Worldwide's partner, Care, is helping to present Half the Sky Live!

  20. Join the 31 Days of Action Campaign to End Violence Against Women

    Help pass the International Violence Against Women Act (IVAWA).

  1. The International Violence Against Women Act (IVAWA)

    Read more about legislation to help end violence against women worldwide.

  2. The Campaign to End Violence Against Women

  1. Stories from Members: Taking a Stand Against Female Genital Mutilation

  2. Shimu: 13, TV-star, and Struggling to Escape Poverty

    A Washington Post article about a young Bangladeshi star shows how critical women's economic opportunity is.

  3. Stories From Members: "Open Invitation to Kill: Murder and Impunity in Guatemala"

  4. Get to Know the "Women Who Light the Dark"

    An inspiring new book by photo-journalist Paola Gianturco shows us how women around the world are using their imaginations against all odds to solve their communities' most intractable problems.

  5. Women Forging New Bonds to Break Old Chains

  6. New Safe House for Victims of Sexual Violence in Liberia

  7. IRC Reports Influx of Rape Cases in Post-Conflict Sierra Leone

  8. Fighting Violence Against Women, One Coffee Bean at a Time

    How women in Honduras are using economic opportunity to fight domestic violence and save lives.

  1. The International Violence Against Women Act (IVAWA)

    Read more about legislation to help end violence against women worldwide.

  1. Take Action: Tell Congress to Pass the Preventing Child Marriage Act!

  2. Counting the Costs of Domestic Violence

    A new report from ICRW details the costs of gender-based violence to economic development.