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# Ending violence against women
- URL: https://www.opendemocracy.net/en/ending-violence-against-women/
- Published: 2008-05-12T16:05:10.000Z
- Updated: 2026-04-15T17:20:05.000Z
- Description: UN Special Rapporteur Dr Yakin Ertürk calls for action now to end violence against women.
- Author: openDemocracy Supporters
- Tags: podcasts, #Migrated, #en, #Import 2026-04-09 14:30, #ImagesUploaded

Why does violence against women appear to be on the increase at the same time that States are doing more through legislation to protect women? [Dr Yakin Ertürk](http://www2.ohchr.org/english/issues/women/rapporteur/YErturkCV.doc?ref=opendemocracy.net) is the United Nations Special Rapporteur on violence against women and she spoke to Jane Gabriel about why she is calling for a new global system to monitor violence.

![Download & Listen](https://www.opendemocracy.net/content/files/2026/04/download-n-listen_iIn427a-1776273178739.png)

Download & Listen

In February this year United Nations Secretary General Ban Ki-moon announced a worldwide campaign by the UN to end violence against women. Dr Ertürk, now in her fifth year of her job as Special Rapporteur says “We don’t need campaigns. We need action”.

Each year Dr Ertürk reports on the causes and consequences of violence against women to the United Nations Human Rights Council. Last year she addressed the need to challenge the cultural relativism of the south and the cultural essentialism of the north, used to explain the violence. This year she is calling for the international community to come up with a new, common definition, of violence against women. You can read her reports in full [here](http://www2.ohchr.org/english/issues/women/rapporteur/index.htm?ref=opendemocracy.net).

For more podcasts, articles and blogs on related issues, [visit the 50.50 homepage](https://www.opendemocracy.net/5050).