Peruvian President Vows To Address Violence Against Women
Komfie Manalo - All Headline News Foreign Correspondent Lima, Peru (AHN) - Peru's President-elect Alan Garcia has vowed to make violence against women a central issue in his administration as he vowed to tackle the problem and give women a greater say in government. The country, which is considered by the United Nations as one of the most dangerous places for women in Latin America, had the world's highest number of sexual assaults in 2005. Data show that more than 50 percent of Peruvian women over the age of 15 have reported sexual or physical violence by men during their lifetime. The country's women's minister Ana Maria Romero told Reuters, "The violence is a direct consequence of poverty." The high unemployment rate in the male population despite the unprecedented economic growth posted by Peru since 2002, the corrupt justice system, and its macho society are fueling the violence against women. Banner stories like "Jealous Man Strangles Wife!" and "Man Kills Wife After She Asked For Divorce!" are just two of the hundreds of headlines compiled in a study by Amnesty International and Peruvian organization Flora Tristan, which works to protect women. The study found that more than 300 women have been killed by men committing sexual violence in Peru since 2003, even in cases when victims asked for police protection. And the violence is more prevalent in the impoverished rural areas. In the so |
