Senior UN officials have called for “intensified worldwide actions” to fight the scourge of violence against women and girls. The call came as the Commission on the Status of Women opened its annual session.

Rachel Mayanja, UN Special Adviser on Gender Issues and Advancement of Women: “Violence against women, one of the most extreme manifestations of pervasive violations of women’s human rights, continues unabated, and intensified worldwide efforts are needed to end it. Its consequences and costs are far-reaching, long-lasting and devastating, not only for its victims, but also to societies.”