On the occasion of International Day for the Elimination of Violence Against Women, Navi Pillay the UN high commissioner for human rights issued a statement to express her regret that violence against women and girls remains the most widespread violation of human rights stressing the fact that women’s right to learn is still undermined in many countries despite progress in several parts of the world.
Pillay estimated that education, especially girls’ education is the subject of deliberate attacks in more than 30 countries because of religious, sectarian, political or other cultural reasons. Such attacks on education unfortunately take place all over the world, including in Africa, the Middle East, Europe and Latin America. Attacks on girls’ education can be traced to parents’ fear for their safety, worry about sexual violence or simply because of traditional values or the fact that parents did not themselves have access to education and therefore are not able to value their daughters’ education.
Source: Al-Mustaqbal 3.12.2012