According to the Third National Survey of Women's Social Status in China conducted in 2010 by the National Bureau of Statistics and the All-China Women's Federation, 24.7 percent of Chinese women have experienced abuse, assault, restriction of personal freedom, economic control, and/or forced sex during marriage. However, these figures are likely to understate the problem due to the common underreporting of domestic violence due to traditional norms that suggest domestic violence is a private affair and acceptable behavior.

Violence against women and girls is the most pervasive human rights violation. Globally, up to seven in 10 women have experienced violence in their lives. It's time to end this pandemic. We are pleased to see that there are currently 125 countries and regions with laws related to domestic violence, among which more than 60 have specialized anti-domestic violence laws. This is a huge step forward from just a decade ago, but 603 million women live in countries where domestic violence is not a crime.

The United Nations in China has been excited to see and support the ongoing process of drafting and passing national level legislation on family violence in China, which will include a focus on violence against women within the home. This is a much-awaited step in keeping China's promises as a signatory to the Convention on the Elimination of all forms of Discrimination against Women. National level legislation will give clearer direction to the work being done to address domestic violence in provinces, counties and villages, as well as send important signals both to the general population and officials responsible for implementing the law. There is no excuse for domestic violence, it is a criminal offense and a human rights violation, and we must use all means necessary to end it. Every woman has the right to enjoy a life free of violence.

However, as we commemorate the International Day of Elimination of Violence against Women on Monday there is still much work to be done. Prevention of domestic violence is one of the areas in which China is still lagging behind. The current requirements for having a case of domestic violence filed or tried are such that they only effectively acknowledge physical abuse as violence, and procedures expose survivors of domestic violence to great stress. Most perpetrators of domestic violence never face official intervention, making repeat offences a real likelihood. Further, the focus among responsible institutions is largely on mediation, conducted after an incident has occurred and often without the necessary knowledge or sensitivity. China lacks a strategy or stable financing to prevent violence from happening in the first place. Initiatives spearheaded by civil society and even private sector companies, supported by the United Nations in China, have shown the potential benefits of mobilizing youth, and especially young men, to promote equal relationships and prevent violence against women and girls. Such efforts need to be scaled up and institutionalized.

Most importantly, though, the only form of violence against women and girls currently being addressed in China is violence conducted within the home. This is a very large part of the violence women and girls face, both in China and globally, but it is not the only form of violence to which women and girls are subjected. Violence and sexual harassment in schools, universities, and workplaces is an under-addressed area. Having a larger and more comprehensive view of violence against women is necessary not only to prevent and respond to violence, but also to better understand the nature of violence against women and girls and how it relates to gendered power relations, gendered roles and expectations, and discrimination on the basis of gender in general.

The United Nations system in China has prioritized violence against women and girls as one of its main areas of focus. We will continue to support efforts made by government, civil society and other partners in China to deliver on the right of women to enjoy to a life free from violence and discrimination, through laws criminalizing it, through effective implementation of laws at all levels, through better services to the survivors of violence and their families, and, importantly, through removing harmful attitudes condoning violence against women and girls. Only by having a comprehensive view of violence against women and girls, the power relations it helps support, and how it is linked to the broader field of gender discrimination, can we hope to prevent violence against Chinese women and girls.

The author is the head of UN Women China.

(China Daily USA 11/25/2013 page11)