Commonwealth Secretary-General Shirley Botchwey has issued a stark message to governments and communities worldwide, declaring that violence against women remains “one of humanity’s oldest and least punished crimes” and warning that global backsliding is putting millions at greater risk.
In her statement marking the International Day for the Elimination of Violence Against Women, Botchwey said the crisis is universal, persistent and deeply personal.
“It is committed in every region and in every community, often behind closed doors and often without consequences,” she said. “It is personal – for all of us.”
She pointed to the everyday fears that women and girls carry — fears so normalised that they often go unnoticed.
“If you have ever had to tell your sister to ‘be careful’ just for existing, you understand. If you have ever asked your daughter to ‘text me when you get home’, you understand.”
Botchwey reminded the world that one in three women experience physical or sexual violence in their lifetime, with even higher risks for girls, women with disabilities and those from minority groups.
“Each bruise, each insult and each threat is not isolated, but part of a machinery of control,” she said.
She said the challenge is not a lack of data, but a lack of courage to dismantle the systems that allow the violence to continue.
Botchwey noted that despite the landmark Beijing commitments made 30 years ago, societies are now “watching rights roll back and violence take new forms – quieter, slicker, still brutal.”
The Secretary-General said the Commonwealth is refusing to look away, placing gender equality at the centre of its work through its new Strategic Plan.
“Gender equality must be a reality, not just a promise on paper,” she said.
She outlined ongoing work across the 56-member bloc, including:
*Reforming gender-discriminatory laws that prevent women from leaving abusive partners or accessing justice
*Helping governments quantify the economic cost of violence to strengthen investment in prevention
*Supporting skills training and women-led businesses to break financial dependence
*Ensuring women have a voice in climate policy, democratic processes and leadership spaces
*Protecting women’s rights to speak, mobilise and lead without fear
But she stressed the efforts are still far from enough.
“Not when the backlash is growing. We need a re-energised global movement – now – powerful enough to turn the tide and carry us toward justice. No excuse.”
“We owe this not only to the women we have lost, but to those who survive every single day. Because no woman is safe until all women are safe. And that safety begins where fear ends – in our homes, neighbourhoods, communities and countries,” said SG Botchwey.
