Figures released by the United Nations report that 35% of women worldwide have suffered physical or sexual violence. Not only that, two-thirds of the victims of the murders in the family are women, while only 119 countries have passed laws on domestic violence and 125 on sexual harassment. The problem of violence against women is therefore a global phenomenon, which takes its toll and generates serious social problems in the world.
But besides the data on the extent and the severity of the phenomenon, statistics relating to the perception of the problem are also significant. The UN reports that almost half of girls aged between 15 and 19 believe that, at least in some cases, husbands have the right to beat their wives. 84% of respondents in Afghanistan, 79% in the Central African Republic, 89% in Guinea Conakry, 83% in Mali and 81% in East Timor state that they believe this. These are all countries where patriarchal cultures survive, where males and females are brought up to believe that women are inferior and subject to the men who possess them.
Yet the situation is not good even where the notions of equality between men and women have been widespread for decades. Suffice it to say that according to research carried out in Italy, of young people aged between 18 and 29, one in three believes that domestic violence is a private matter, while one in four considers that isolated acts of violence are caused by "too much love".
For a congregation like the Salesians all this means one thing: more needs to be done for the all-round education of boys and girls, for boys to learn the true meaning of the word "love", and for girls to be aware of their value and their rights.
