25 November 2016 – Underlining that violence against women and girls is not only a human rights violation but also a serious obstacle to sustainable development, United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon called for “meaningful” action to prevent and respond to such violence.

“Violence against women and girls imposes large-scale costs on families, communities and economies,” Secretary-General Ban said in his message on the International Day for the Elimination of Violence against Women.

Mr. Ban explained that when women cannot work as a result of violence, their employment could be put