美駐華大使夫人撰文：共同努力消除對婦女的暴力
美國駐華大使夫人 李蒙
共同努力消除對婦女的暴力
李蒙
美國駐華大使夫人
世界各地每三名女性中就有一名會在其一生中經歷某種形式的性別暴力。11月25日是消除對婦女的暴力行為國際日以及反對性別暴力16天行動的第一天，我們提醒自己對婦女的恐怖暴力行為每天都在世界各地發生，並且我們承諾，繼續努力，改變態度，消除一切針對婦女和女童的暴力形式。
針對婦女和女童的暴力影響中國，就像其影響美國和所有其他國家一樣。不幸的是，性別暴力是一個全球性問題，不分國界，跨越民族、種族、社會經濟和宗教界限。它包括身體、性和心理上的虐待；威脅；脅迫；對自由的任意剝奪；以及經濟剝奪，不論其發生在公共還是私人生活中。
親密伴侶暴力是最常見的暴力形式，在一些國家高達70％。家庭暴力往往被認為是私事，受害婦女和女童被迫默默忍受。我們需要讓她們知道，她們並不孤單，而且我們在乎。針對婦女的暴力是不可接受的，無論其發生在哪裏或施暴者可能是誰。
反對性別暴力16天行動為我們所有人提供一個機會，重申我們對婦女和女童免遭暴力的承諾，不論其發生在家裏，還是作為一種公開的恐嚇。無論其發生在我們的鄰里，還是遙遠的他鄉，針對婦女和女童的暴力傷害我們所有人——無論男女。正如克林頓國務卿所説，“是時候我們所有人負起責任，不只譴責還要採取具體行動終結這種行為，讓其不被社會接受，認識到這不是文化，這是犯罪。”
無論國際社會、各個政府、多邊組織還是基層倡導者，我們都需共同努力，解決和預防這種暴力的發生。許多國家已通過立法，解決性別暴力。下一個關鍵步驟是共同努力，改進執法，以加強問責制並解決有罪不罰的現象。我們需要更多的宣傳以及政策制定者和實地工作者間更多的互動。我們需要賦權讓女童為自己説話，並教育男童為自己的姐妹仗義執言。我們必須支持讓男人、男童和其他重要社區利益相關者加入進來，解決和防止暴力，並改變性別態度。我們必須最終克服根深蒂固的性別不平等。
身為母親，我知道讓孩子——無論男童還是女童——瞭解生活在一個漠視對婦女和女童暴力世界的嚴重後果。對婦女的暴力不只傷害受害婦女和女童，還傷害她們生活的社會和作為其中一部分的國際社會。受到這些行為傷害的婦女無法充分發揮其潛力，而沒有她們的貢獻，國際社會也不能發揮自身的潛力——無論是社會的還是經濟的。
駱大使和我呼籲美國、中國和世界上所有公民，堅決反對針對婦女和女童的暴力——不只是今天，而是每一天。我們期待有一天，所有婦女和女童都不再遭受暴力，這對不只婦女和女童還有整個世界來説都將是一個偉大的成就。
Working Together to Eliminate Violence against Women
Mona Locke
Wife of U.S. Ambassador Gary Locke
One in three women around the world will experience some form of gender-based violence in her lifetime. November 25this International Day for the Elimination of Violence Against Womenandthe first day of 16 Days of Activism against Gender Violence. We are reminded of the horrific acts of violence against women that take place every day around the world and we pledge to renew our efforts to change attitudes and eliminate all forms of violence against women and girls.
Violence against women and girls affects China just as it does the United States and every other nation. Sadly, gender-based violence is a global problem that knows no borders and cuts across ethnic, racial, socio-economic, and religious lines. It includes physical, sexual, and psychological abuse; threats; coercion; arbitrary deprivation of liberty; and economic deprivation, whether occurring in public or private life.
Intimate partner violence is the most common form of violence, in some countries reaching as high as 70 percent. Too often domestic violence is considered a private matter, and women and girls who are victimized are forced to suffer in silence. We need to let them know that they are not alone and that we care. Violence against women is unacceptable, no matter where it occurs or who the perpetrator might be.
The 16 Days of Activism against Gender Violence offer all of us an opportunity to renew our commitment to free women and girls from violence, whether occurring behind closed doors or as a public tactic of intimidation. Whether it is happening in our own neighborhood or on distant shores, violence against women and girls damages us all- men and women alike. As Secretary Clinton has stated, “It is time for all of us to assume our responsibility to go beyond condemning this behavior, to taking concrete steps to end it, to make it sociably unacceptable, to recognize it is not cultural; it is criminal.”
We all need to work together—the international community, governments, multilateral organizations, and grassroots-level advocates to address and prevent this violence from occurring. Many nations have passed legislation addressing gender-based violence. The next critical step is to work together to improve implementation of these laws in order to increase accountability and address impunity. We need increased advocacy and more interaction between policy makers and those who work in the field. We need to empower girls to speak up for themselves, and educate boys to speak up for their sisters. We must support the inclusion of men, boys, and other critical community stakeholders in addressing and preventing violence and changing gender attitudes. We must ultimately overcome deep-rooted gender inequalities.
As a mother, I know the importance of teaching our children - both boys and girls – the consequences of living in a world that turns a blind eye to violence against women and girls. Violence against women doesn’t just harm the women and girls victimized by these acts, but also the societies in which they live and the global community of which they are a part. Women who suffer from these acts are unable to reach their full potential and, without their contributions, the world community cannot reach its own potential – socially or economically.
Ambassador Locke and I call on all citizens in the U.S., China, and the world to stand firm in their opposition to violence against women and girls – not just today, but every day. We look forward to the day when all women and girls are free from violence, which will be a great achievement not just for women and girls, but for the whole world.