International Women's Day 2013

International Women’s Day is held on 8 March each year to honour women’s advancement and celebrate their economic, political and social achievements.

Shining a light on sexual and gender-based violence

This International Women's Day, CARE is highlighting the issue of sexual and gender-based violence. We know this is one of the biggest challenges facing women and girls in developing countries, indeed women across the globe.

Gender-based violence is one of the most widespread – but least recognised – human rights abuses in the world, and is at the heart of women’s and girl’s marginalisation. It feeds on gender discrimination and inequality and is deeply woven into the social fabric.

Globally, one in three women will be raped, beaten, coerced into sex or otherwise abused in her lifetime. 

CARE is committed to preventing and responding to this violence through our programs. In 2012 over 260 CARE projects, in 50 countries, worked to address sexual and gender-based violence.

This year CARE will be calling on the Federal Government to use its influence to shape the post-2015 development agenda to prioritise the elimination of sexual and gender-based violence.

Unless women fully realise their human rights, to which freedom from violence is inextricably bound, progress toward development will continue to fall short.
 

Take action today! Take positive steps this International Women's Day to help improve the lives of women and girls in developing countries and help tackle sexual and gender-based violence. Sign up for the Walk In Her Shoes challenge and walk 10,000 steps a day to help women and girls in developing countries lift themselves and their community out of poverty. Funds raised go towards CARE projects that help empower women and girls. Register now!

Did you know?

• Gender-based violence is a leading cause of women’s and girls’ death and incapacity globally.
• Gender violence kills and disables as many women aged 15-44 as cancer, malaria, car accidents and war combined.
  
• Up to 70% of women experience violence in their lifetime.
  
• One billion women will be victims of sexual violence in their lifetime.
  
• One in four women who have experienced gender-based violence have been abused during pregnancy.
• In the Democratic Republic of Congo 1,100 rapes are being reported each month, with an average of 36 women and girls raped every day.

Stories about CARE's work to address gender-based violence

CARE takes a stand to end gender-based violence this International Women's Day by Julia Newton-Howes, CARE Australia CEO International Women’s Day (IWD) is an important day. It is an opportunity for us to pause and reflect on achievements in the fight against gender inequality and to imagine a better world. It’s an opportunity to think about what is holding us back, where progress is desperately needed and what we must do to address it. On IWD this year CARE is shining the light on the issue of gender-based violence. Read more
Rape as a weapon of war: Jollie’s story "When I fled I took a truck to Sake and then from there came by foot to Goma after spending the night in Sake. It took nearly a whole day – the road is long. My father was the one who brought me here but after he dropped me I haven’t seen or heard from him again. I heard from people in my village that he has gone to Rubero but he hasn’t tried to contact me. This is my first-born daughter and she is just over a year old now. I didn’t know her father – he took me by force and that is how I became pregnant. It happened to me when I was 17, and I am now 18 years old..." Read more
Training men and women in eastern Congo to detect and prevent sexual violence Hands clap and fingers snap as a group of women and men watch CARE staffer Rose Vive Lobo and respond to her questions. ‘What does sexual violence mean? Do you know different forms of such violence? What are women’s and men’s rights and obligations?’ To prevent sexual and gender-based violence and care for survivors, CARE trains community educators, both men and women. Read more