UNICEF: Abuse of women pervasive worldwide
Poor sanitation also cited
July 22, 1997
Web posted at: 11:57 a.m. EDT (1557 GMT)In this story:
(CNN) -- Violence against women -- including genital mutilation, dowry killings and domestic abuse -- is the "most pervasive violation of human rights in the world today," the United Nations Children's Fund said Tuesday.
UNICEF's annual Progress of Nations report also warns of heightened risk of wide-scale epidemics of cholera or other diseases because half the world's people do not have access to a toilet or even a decent latrine.
And it denounces the worldwide "relentless promotion" of breast milk substitutes.
Women at risk
The report highlights violence against females because it affects children around the world and delivers a broad picture on how countries develop, a UNICEF spokesman said.
Among the findings:
More then 60 million women who might otherwise be alive today are "missing" because of gender discrimination, predominantly in south and west Asia, China and North Africa.
In the United States, where overall violent crime against women has been growing for the past two decades, a woman is physically abused by her intimate partner every nine seconds.
In India, more than 5,000 women are killed each year because their inlaws consider their dowries inadequate.
About 2 million girls each year are genitally mutilated by the removal of their labia minora or clitoris. In 28 countries, mostly in Africa, the procedure is called female circumcision and is considered a rite of passage into adulthood.
"In today's world, to be born female is to be born high risk. Every girl grows up under the threat of violence," UNICEF Executive Director Carol Bellamy said in a statement.
Sanitation problems
In its section on sanitation, the report said:
The number of people lacking decent sanitation has grown from 2.6 billion in 1990 to 2.9 billion now, driven by population growth, urban crowding and pressures on the budgets of developing countries.
Waste-contaminated water supplies increase the risk of diarrhea, which kills 2.2 million children each year. It also pollutes open areas and attracts vermin that carry disease.
The problem is most acute in rural areas, where only 18 percent of people worldwide have access to a toilet or latrine. In urban areas of developing countries, 63 percent have decent sanitation.
The figures are approximate because UNICEF used data from countries with widely varying definitions of "adequate" sanitation.
Infant formula called risky
UNICEF, which calls breast milk a "live and incredibly complex substance, containing all the nutrients vital for nourishment," says infant formula "is not just inferior; it can cause disease or even death."
The report accuses infant formula manufacturers of violating a 1981 agreement not to "market or distribute in such a way as to interfere with the promotion of breastfeeding."
In developing countries where water supplies may be infected with diseases, powdered formula feeding poses many risks, UNICEF reported.
It estimates that "improved breastfeeding practices" could save the lives of an nearly 1.5 million children a year.
Related sites:
Note: Pages will open in a new browser window
- United Nations Children's Fund: The Progress of Nations 1997 - a report that ranks nations according to their achievements in child health, nutrition, education, family planning, and progress for women.
- United Nations Children's Fund: The Progress of Nations 1996 - the 1996 report
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