A Blog Post by Forest Whitaker on International Day for the Elimination of Violence against Women
In 2022, it feels strange to still need to speak about freedom and equal rights for women. Much of the world feels like we’ve progressed beyond that issue — that such antiquated beliefs cannot affect advanced, enlightened 21st Century societies. In reality, the world is becoming increasingly conscious of the sad fact that many women already know: violence and aggression towards women is widespread, affecting all parts of our societies. The #MeToo movement of 2017 gave a public face to our new understanding of this issue’s magnitude. Violence against women is something that affects all age groups, all social classes, all nationalities, and truly all human beings. According to figures released by the United Nations, an estimated 736 million women — almost one in three — have been subjected to physical and/or sexual intimate partner violence, non-partner sexual violence, or both, at least once in their life. This startling statistic covers 30% of women aged 15 and older, and this doesn’t even include sexual violence.
Despite growing activism and an increase in awareness campaigns around the globe, domestic violence against women is on the rise. How can this be? Even after taking such positive steps, how can the world remain on a negative trajectory? The COVID-19 pandemic highlighted both stark inequalities around the globe, and heralded in a period of increased violence against women. We’ve seen that women from lower to middle-income countries are disproportionately affected, and those nations often have the harshest backlash against feminist movements and human rights defenders in general. Economic insecurity, geopolitical undulations, and widespread anxiety about our communal future have led to a rise in violence and attacks on civil society. We cannot allow this to continue.
Throughout the decade in which I’ve led WPDI, I’ve seen consistency in every conflict region: women are always amongst the first to suffer, and are deemed easy targets, who are unable to defend themselves. This is heartbreaking, but also provides me with further motivation to achieve my goals.
Women are suffering, and many lack access to support networks or the technological infrastructure to make their voices heard — to cry out for help — hopeful that someone is listening to them. I hope they are able to take some comfort in the fact that they are not alone: we are listening, and we are mobilizing thanks to the relentless work of grassroots activists, women’s human rights defenders, and survivor advocates worldwide.
It is also important for us to talk about the power of women as activists for peace. Emancipation is key to our global peace objectives, because women with the power to change their local communities have the power to change the world.
I have long advocated for gender equality through my work with WPDI, and it has become a central facet of our global strategy to foster peace through empowerment. This means devoting our resources to education. Because only through education can women be empowered. Female victims of violence are often denied basic access to things we often take for granted. But what I see on the ground throughout the world is how education is truly life-changing. To save women from violence, education is indispensable.
That is why women now represent over 50% of our beneficiaries, which is so important because women are particularly disadvantaged in the regions where we operate. So, I’m extremely proud that WPDI was able to train over 900 women in Business and Entrepreneurship in South Africa in 2022, and that we are supporting 42 new businesses launched by vulnerable women. In Uganda, WPDI recruited 285 women to a 9-month Business program. These initiatives bring hope and strength to areas ravaged by violence, and turn women into key actors in the development of their local communities.
Women’s strength is our strength, and it is up to human rights defenders, peace activists, and advocacy organizations around the globe to work together to support it. Humanity will be transformed if we succeed.