ABritishMedicalJournaleditorialcallsforamoralandpoliticalmovementtoendviolenceandoppressionagainstwomenandgirls.Itsaysaboutonebillionwomenworldwidehavebeenbeaten,coercedintohavingsexorotherwiseabused.TheBMJeditorialdescribesoppressionagainstwomenandgirlsasagreatinjusticethatisinsidious,systematicandwidespread."We'vebeendocumentingtheproblemofviolenceagainstwomenandotherabuseandneglectofwomeninthecontextofchildbirth,etc.Therearemanyprograms,campaigns,policies,laws,conventions,treatiesthathavebeendevisedtoeliminatethem.There'sbeenprogressinthatregardandyetit'sstillaglobalpandemic–theoppressionofwomenandgirls,"saidcoauthorJaniceDuMont.DuMontisascientistattheWomen'sCollegeResearchInstituteinTorontoandanassociateprofessorattheDallaLanaSchoolofPublicHealthattheUniversityofToronto.Sheco-wrotetheeditorialwithAssociateProfessorofSociologyDeborahWhiteofTrentUniversityinPeterborough,Canada.BasicrightsTheeditorialsaysgenderedviolence,avoidablecomplicationsofpregnancyandchildbirthareinfringementsofbasichumanrightsandfreedoms."Whenyouthinkaboutviolenceagainstwomen,forexample,andgirls,Imeanit'sanissuethattoucheseveryone'slives.Youhavesisters,mothers,friends,etceterathathaveexperiencedabuseorwillexperienceabuseinthefuture.Soitisaproblemrelevanttoeveryoneinallcountries.Thiscutsrightacrossboundarieslikegeography,wealth,culture,"Dumontsaid.TheBritishMedicalJournalapproachedthetwowomentowritetheeditorialasafollow-uptoa2009bookHalftheSky:TurningOppressionintoOpportunityforWomenWorldwide.Itwasco-writtenbyNewYorkTimescolumnistNicholasKristofandPulitzerPrizewinningjournalistSherylWuDunn.ProfessorDuMontsayswomenaroundtheworldfacemanyrisks."Thenumberoneconsequenceofabuseandneglectisjustdeath,period.AndIknowfromsurveysworldwidethatit'sestimated,forexample,thatapproximately40to70percentofhomicidesofwomenarecommittedbyintimatepartners.Theseareinthecontextofabusiverelationships.Soonetypeofviolenceagainstwomen.Also,bothabuseandneglectandpregnancy,etcetera,nothavingaccesstoproperservices,obvio...
