The struggle to stop violence against women worldwide, particularly domestic violence, has gathered significant momentum over the past decade. Till date, 44 countries have executed laws against domestic violence, 27 against sexual harassment, 17 against conjugal rape and 12 African and Middle Eastern countries have prohibited genital mutilation.

Statistics on crimes against women in most of South Asia, including India, show a rise in different types of violence against women. There is lack of sufficient data, information and awareness on the different types of violence and their consequences on women, the statement said.

Various initiatives have been undertaken by UNIFEM in partnership with other UN agencies, national governments as well as women's groups andgrass-roots movements to move toward a life free of violence for women.

`Trade in Human Misery', an information package on trafficking of women and children in the Asian region, the first of its kind, was released at the end of UNIFEM's 16 days campaign on Violence Against Women, carried out by the National Commission for Women, NGOs, schools, colleges, Rotary Clubs and other representatives of civil society.

An intra-regional Governmental group, in partnership with representatives from NGOs is already engaged in a dialogue to prevent and contain trafficking in the region. The report reveals that of the nearly two million children abused and trafficked globally every year, the largest number are in South and South East Asia.

An alarming trend is that younger and younger children are being trafficked into the commercial sex industry.

In Pakistan, Simorgh, a non-government, non-profit women's resource and publication centre, is bringing out a series of multi-purpose text books focussed on women's rightsfor school children and school teachers.