美驻华大使夫人撰文：共同努力消除对妇女的暴力
美国驻华大使夫人 李蒙
共同努力消除对妇女的暴力
李蒙
美国驻华大使夫人
世界各地每三名女性中就有一名会在其一生中经历某种形式的性别暴力。11月25日是消除对妇女的暴力行为国际日以及反对性别暴力16天行动的第一天，我们提醒自己对妇女的恐怖暴力行为每天都在世界各地发生，并且我们承诺，继续努力，改变态度，消除一切针对妇女和女童的暴力形式。
针对妇女和女童的暴力影响中国，就像其影响美国和所有其他国家一样。不幸的是，性别暴力是一个全球性问题，不分国界，跨越民族、种族、社会经济和宗教界限。它包括身体、性和心理上的虐待；威胁；胁迫；对自由的任意剥夺；以及经济剥夺，不论其发生在公共还是私人生活中。
亲密伴侣暴力是最常见的暴力形式，在一些国家高达70％。家庭暴力往往被认为是私事，受害妇女和女童被迫默默忍受。我们需要让她们知道，她们并不孤单，而且我们在乎。针对妇女的暴力是不可接受的，无论其发生在哪里或施暴者可能是谁。
反对性别暴力16天行动为我们所有人提供一个机会，重申我们对妇女和女童免遭暴力的承诺，不论其发生在家里，还是作为一种公开的恐吓。无论其发生在我们的邻里，还是遥远的他乡，针对妇女和女童的暴力伤害我们所有人——无论男女。正如克林顿国务卿所说，“是时候我们所有人负起责任，不只谴责还要采取具体行动终结这种行为，让其不被社会接受，认识到这不是文化，这是犯罪。”
无论国际社会、各个政府、多边组织还是基层倡导者，我们都需共同努力，解决和预防这种暴力的发生。许多国家已通过立法，解决性别暴力。下一个关键步骤是共同努力，改进执法，以加强问责制并解决有罪不罚的现象。我们需要更多的宣传以及政策制定者和实地工作者间更多的互动。我们需要赋权让女童为自己说话，并教育男童为自己的姐妹仗义执言。我们必须支持让男人、男童和其他重要社区利益相关者加入进来，解决和防止暴力，并改变性别态度。我们必须最终克服根深蒂固的性别不平等。
身为母亲，我知道让孩子——无论男童还是女童——了解生活在一个漠视对妇女和女童暴力世界的严重后果。对妇女的暴力不只伤害受害妇女和女童，还伤害她们生活的社会和作为其中一部分的国际社会。受到这些行为伤害的妇女无法充分发挥其潜力，而没有她们的贡献，国际社会也不能发挥自身的潜力——无论是社会的还是经济的。
骆大使和我呼吁美国、中国和世界上所有公民，坚决反对针对妇女和女童的暴力——不只是今天，而是每一天。我们期待有一天，所有妇女和女童都不再遭受暴力，这对不只妇女和女童还有整个世界来说都将是一个伟大的成就。
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.