Violence against women.
Recognizing November 25 as International Day for the Elimination of Violence Against Women Women's activists have marked November 25 as a day against violence since 1981. On December 17 1999, the United Nations General Assembly designated 25 November as the International Day for the Elimination of Violence Against Women (Resolution 54/134). , Amnesty International Amnesty International (AI,) human-rights organization founded in 1961 by Englishman Peter Benenson; it campaigns internationally against the detention of prisoners of conscience, for the fair trial of political prisoners, to abolish the death penalty and torture of declared violence against women to be today's "most pervasive human rights challenge." Stressing that such violence spans cultural and religious boundaries and political, social, and economic status, AI cites numerous examples from around the world: worldwide, 120 million women are subjected to brutal circumcision circumcision (sûr'kəmsĭzh`ən), operation to remove the foreskin covering the glans of the penis. It dates back to prehistoric times and was widespread throughout the Middle East as a religious rite before it was introduced among the every year; in the United States United States, officially United States of America, republic (2005 est. pop. 295,734,000), 3,539,227 sq mi (9,166,598 sq km), North America. The United States is the world's third largest country in population and the fourth largest country in area. , over 700,000 women are raped annually; in Bangladesh, 50 percent of all murders are of women by their partners; in South Africa South Africa, Afrikaans Suid-Afrika, officially Republic of South Africa, republic (2005 est. pop. 44,344,000), 471,442 sq mi (1,221,037 sq km), S Africa. , 147 women are raped every day; in Britain, there's a call for help every minute by victims of domestic violence; more than 2,000 women, mostly from former Soviet republics, are channeled annually through Cyprus and forced into prostitution in European and Arab countries; in Sri Lanka, domestic help are beaten and raped and then discarded. The latter problem has become so prevalent that a Bureau of Foreign Employment was established at a Colombo airport to assist them--on average fifty every day.
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