UN marks the International Day for the Elimination of Violence against Women

Marking the International Day for the Elimination of Violence against Women, the United Nations on Wednesday voiced its support for women and girls, calling for an end to all forms of attacks against them.

UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon said "we will not relent until we stop all attacks against women and girls," which include beatings by their husbands, sexual assault, slavery, trafficking, child and forced marriages, among others.

"Ending violence against women and girls is a top priority for achieving the UN's founding mission of peace, development and human rights," said Ban while addressing at a commemorative meeting on the world day.

"But if we are serious about ending violence against women, including violent extremism, we have to intensify our efforts for women's rights," he added.

In 1999, The UN General Assembly designated Nov. 25 as the International Day for the Elimination of Violence against Women to raise public awareness of the serious problem. This year's focus is on preventing gender-based violence before it happens.

"On the International Day for the Elimination of Violence against Women, we repeat again violence against women is not acceptable; it is not inevitable and it can be prevented," said UN Women Executive Director Phumzile Mlambo-Ngcuka.

She stressed that ending violence against women requires commitments and zero-tolerance at the highest level of leadership worldwide.

According to UN statistics, an estimated 35 percent of women worldwide have experienced physical or sexual violence -- mostly by an intimate partner. Globally, more than 700 million women alive today were married as children below age 18.

"Violence is directed at women because of their sexual orientation, because of their race, because of their religion and because they are indigenous women," said Mlambo-Ngcuka. "It is a universal problem."

"We will continue to work with businesses, with member states, with cities and with villages, with our core partners everywhere in the world, with civil society, women's organizations and increasingly with men and boys, until we reach true equality, a Planet 50-50 - where women and girls can live without violence," she said.