– On Valentine’s Day, countless couples will celebrate romance by candlelight. On  the same day, one billion women and men worldwide will stand up to shine a light  on the darker side of gender relations.

CommentsView/Create comment on this paragraphAccording  to the United Nations, one in three women worldwide will be raped or beaten in  her lifetime. In some countries, up to seven in ten women will be beaten, raped,  abused, or mutilated. Often, the victims of such abuses are treated as criminals – dishonored, brutalized, ostracized, imprisoned, and even executed – while  perpetrators remain free. Millions of women suffer in this way, but their  stories remain untold.

CommentsView/Create comment on this paragraphLast  December, the brutal gang rape and murder of a 23-year-old woman in India – two  months after Pakistan’s Taliban shot 14-year-old Malala Yousafzai for advocating  education – triggered large-scale public protests. This outcry should mark the  start of a global movement to lift the veil of silence that shrouds violence  against women – which often begins at home – and protects the perpetrators.

CommentsView/Create comment on this paragraphFrom  honor killings to child marriages, from date rape to sex slavery, crimes against  women are prevalent in every society. But, when women are courageous enough  to report abuse, doctors are often unhelpful, police are hostile, and the  justice system fails them. For example, one in three women in the United States military is sexually  assaulted, usually by a colleague, yet very few attackers are convicted.  Likewise, in the United Kingdom, 473,000 sexual offenses are reported annually,  60,000-95,000 of which are classified as rape. But, in each of the last three  years, only slightly more than 1,000 offenders were convicted of rape.

CommentsView/Create comment on this paragraphIn the  1970’s, feminists identified the connection between rape, male privilege, and  female sexual vilification. Today, readily accessible Internet pornography  is teaching boys and men that sexual acts involving degradation and even violent  abuse of women are acceptable.

CommentsView/Create comment on this  paragraphMeanwhile, many privileged women, instilled with a strong  sense of entitlement, dismiss feminism as passé. But gender discrimination  continues to pervade all aspects of society, with most social and political  institutions continuing to foster “glass ceilings,” if not outright female  subordination. Women receive equal pay and equal opportunities in very few  countries.

CommentsView/Create comment on this paragraphFeminism  thus has a crucial role to play in the twenty-first century. After all, as  Executive Director of UN Women Michelle Bachelet has put it, “violence against women is…a threat to democracy, a  barrier to lasting peace, a burden on national economies, and an appalling  human-rights violation.” Governments must continue to advance women’s rights  through legislation, while civil society must promote a cultural shift that  rejects women’s marginalization or mistreatment. Only by enabling women to  realize their potential can countries ensure economic and social progress.

CommentsView/Create comment on this paragraphThis  potential was evident during the Arab Spring uprisings, when women, empowered by  recent advances in literacy and education, organized and led demonstrations that  toppled decades-old regimes. In Egypt, even as female political activists and  reporters were being sexually harassed in Tahrir Square, they continued to  contribute to the revolution.

CommentsView/Create comment on this paragraphBut  gender equality remains a distant goal in the region, with women being left out  of the political process, exerting little influence in governing bodies or in  drafting new constitutions. In fact, on the Egyptian revolution’s two-year  anniversary last week, when thousands of demonstrators took to the streets to  protest President Mohamed Morsi and the Muslim Brotherhood, at least nine female  protesters were sexually assaulted in Tahrir Square.

CommentsView/Create comment on this paragraphIn March,  government and civil-society leaders will gather in New York for a meeting of  the UN Commission on the Status of Women to agree on a plan to eliminate  violence against women. Global leaders should take this opportunity to pledge to  adopt the policies and devote the resources needed to end pervasive violations  of women’s human rights.

CommentsView/Create comment on this paragraphBut,  without the political will to enact legislation and enforce it effectively,  promises are meaningless. Although 187 countries have signed the 1979 United Nations Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of  Violence Against Women, statistics show little progress.

CommentsView/Create comment on this  paragraphConsider Afghanistan, which ratified the convention in  2009. A 2012 Action Aid survey found that violence against women has never been  more prevalent, with 87% of women suffering domestic abuse. In the same year,  President Hamid Karzai’s government upheld a husband’s legal right to beat his  wife. If an Afghan man murders his wife, he can expect to pay a fine.

CommentsView/Create comment on this paragraphChange is  possible, but it requires collective action by the international community to  challenge the attitudes that lead to violence, oppression, and inequality. Five  steps are particularly important:

CommentsView/Create comment on this  paragraph·         Ratify and  enforce all relevant regional and international treaties, and implement laws  that prohibit violence against women and ensure effective punishment of  offenses.

CommentsView/Create comment on this  paragraph·         Enhance  women’s economic and political empowerment, including by directing international  aid toward their health, education, and welfare.

CommentsView/Create comment on this  paragraph·         Increase  public awareness of the problem through traditional media, as well as through  social media and other electronic channels.

CommentsView/Create comment on this  paragraph·         Mobilize  men and boys against violence through educational programs.

CommentsView/Create comment on this  paragraph·         Improve  support for survivors of violence and their families, including legal  assistance, psychological counseling, and health care.

CommentsView/Create comment on this paragraphMany  international movements and organizations – such as Women Under Siege, V-Day,  and Stop Violence Against  Women – are already working to deliver justice and security to women.  Governments and political parties should support such initiatives.

CommentsView/Create comment on this paragraphAll  people deserve justice, equality, and freedom from violence. On February 14,  women and men worldwide should support One Billion Rising, a global call for people to show their  support for the one billion women who have survived violence and abuse. Whether  you choose to strike, dance, speak out, or simply stand up, your involvement  will bring the world closer to ending this deadly war against women.