PRLog (Press Release) – Aug 20, 2009 – Around the world, as many as one in every three women has been beaten, coerced into sex, or abused in some other way – most often by someone she knows, including her husband or another male family member; one woman in four has been abused during pregnancy. Violence against women has been called the most pervasive, yet least recognized, set of human rights violations in the world.

It’s been clear to me for some time that the inequality between men and women is the one inequality that stretches across all other sectors and cultures of human society, yet what are the connections to global sustainability?

As this article goes onto point out, the inequality of women is not only an issue of human rights. Empowering women, more than half of the world’s population, to take active parts in creating sustainable economic development, improving health and reducing poverty.

To create a more sustainable society, we must address the attitudes and behaviors that perpetuate subjugation of women. To achieve a world in balance we need to change human behavior and ensure that all people are provided with both education and opportunity. This will not only raise living standards, but it will allow for informed decisions about childbearing and family size. However, when half of a country’s population – the women – are deprived of these opportunities, realizing such goals becomes impossible.

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