On August 10, 2012, President Barack Obama issued an Executive
Order on Preventing and Responding to Violence Against Women and
Girls Globally to advance the rights and status of women and
girls, to promote gender equality in U.S. foreign policy, and to
bring about a world in which all individuals can pursue their
aspirations without the threat of violence. Violence against
women and girls cuts across ethnicity, race, class, religion,
education level, and international borders. Although statistics
on the prevalence of violence vary, the scale is tremendous, the
scope is vast, and the consequences for individuals, families,
communities, and countries are devastating. An estimated one in
three women worldwide has been beaten, coerced into sex, or
otherwise abused in her lifetime. Intimate partner violence is
the most common form of violence experienced by women globally.
Other forms of violence include human trafficking and, sexual
violence (including its use as a tactic of war), and harmful
traditional practic