This article was originally written by Lucina Kathmann on February 25, 2008, in New York.

United Nations Secretary General Ban Ki-moon was on hand today to address
the opening meeting of the 52nd Session of the Commission on the Status of
Women. He used the occasion to announce the beginning of a worldwide
campaign against violence against women. In his speech he said, "One third
of women are beaten, abused or coerced into sex during their lifetime. They
are our sisters, mothers, daughters and friends. This is a campaign for them
to reclaim their lives."

...

He noted that the systematic rape of women has become a war tactic, and he
called for a mechanism to be created under Security Council Resolution
#1325, which mandates the full participation of women in all peace
processes, in order to monitor violence against women in conflict
situations.

Besides pledging help from the United Nations, the Korean Secretary General
called for individual governments to criminalize all forms of violence
against women, for non-governmental organizations to step up the fight and
for individuals to help wherever they can. He suggested that it should
particularly become an emblem of pride for men and boys to denounce violence
against women.

The campaign is planned to continue through 2015, the timeline of the United
Nations' Millennium Goals for Development, because, as Mr. Ki-moon said,
"The eradication of violence against women is a necessary condition for the
development of society."

This is Mr. Ki-moon's first appearance at the Commission on the Status of
Women since he took over from Secretary General Kofi Annan, who retired in
2007. Kofi Annan, from Ghana, was the first Secretary General to address the
Commission on the Status of Women. Nan, his Swedish wife, was active in the
work of the Commission itself. Since Ban Ki-moon arrived in person on the
first day of the session, the first time an United Nations Secretary General
has ever appeared at the opening, it appears that he intends to continue or
even intensify Annan's policy of giving more importance to issues affecting
women.

Ban Ki-moon's speech was short and clear. All the same, should anyone have
missed his message, at the end of his speech, he took out a little whistle
and blew on it loud and long!