Mobilizing men to end violence against women

UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon today launched the Network of Men Leaders to End Violence Against Women. Sharing the stage with him at the United Nations in New York was Norway’s Minister of Justice and the Police, Knut Storberget.

“I want to use the network to mobilise men. One in four women around the world experience domestic violence. As men we must take responsibility and make sure that attitudes change. We work together on the international state to fight terror. It’s time we deal with the terror on the homefront too,” said Mr. Storberget.

The network is part of Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon’s campaign UNiTE to End Violence against Women.

“We must demand accountability for the violations, and take concrete steps to end impunity. We must listen to and support the survivors,” said Secretary-General Ban.

Besides Mr. Storberget, other members in the Network include archbishop Desmond Tutu, Spain’s prime minister José Zapatero, Italy’s foreign minister Franco Fattini, author Paulo Coelho, og former president of Chile Ricardo Lagos.

Since taking office four years ago, Mr. Minister Knut Storberget has made combating violence against women a top priority for the Norwegian government. In June he hosted a Council of Europe conference which saw justice ministers from across the continent discuss domestic violence. In April he visited Malawi where he met activists and experts in this field from several African countries. As a follow up to that visit, Mr. Storberget plans to organise an international conference in Norway on the mobilisation of men to end violence against women.