United Nations, United Nations.-UN Secretary-General, Ban Ki-moon, has reiterated today that gender violence represents a serious violation of human rights and has called for an end to it through a collective action.

‘This violence is a public health pandemic and a serious obstacle for sustainable development,’ Ban warned in his message on the International Day for the Elimination of Violence against Women, set up in 1999 by the United Nations General Assembly.

According to Ban, humanity can and should do much more about this issue and introduce measures to ensure the prevention of and an effective response to the global phenomenon, which affects one in three women.

‘Violence against women and girls has a long-term impact in families, communities and economies,’ he said.

‘One of the most serious issues is the impunity that often surrounds the abuses suffered by this population sector,’ Ban stated.

The UN has today launched 16 days of demonstrations and measures supporting the eradication of violence against women within the framework of its worldwide campaign ‘Paint your world orange’. This includes lighting famous buildings and places orange, among them the Empire State Building in New York, where Ban usually attends the lighting ceremony.