Rice: Justice for women must be priority

WASHINGTON -- Greater efforts must be taken to combat the growing trend of violence against women and end the "climate of perpetual fear" they face, Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice said Wednesday.

She was a co-host of the State Department's Senior Roundtable for Women's Justice, an effort to call attention to violence against women and help them seek justice. Joining Rice as hosts were former Supreme Court Justice Sandra Day O'Connor and Avon CEO Andrea Jung.

Justice for women should be a "policy priority for every country in the world." Rice told the group of judges, legal professionals and human rights activists from 17 countries and 20 U.S. states.

Violence and lack of justice for women are often seen in countries engaged in conflict, where there is no rule of law. "Women too often suffer the most" in such situations, Rice said.

She noted that one in every three women is a victim of rape, abuse or domestic violence every year. And she pointed to the increasingly alarming rates of human trafficking. Every year, 800,000 people, mostly women and girls, are trafficked around the world.

At least 53 countries do not outlaw rape within marriage, according to the U.N.

Although most countries have laws against rape, violence and other crimes against women, in some, "courts and prosecutors are often unwilling or unable to catch and punish those responsible," Rice said.

"Passing laws is not enough. Laws must be enforced," she said. What good are a country's law's, she asked, when its institutions lack the will, are under-resourced or are "in some cases just too unsympathetic?"

O'Connor, whom Rice called a trailblazer and an "inspiration for every one of us, but especially an inspiration for me," spoke about domestic violence, an issue she has addressed frequently.

In the 1970s in America, she said, police often didn't consider domestic abuse a crime. But since then, laws have made it easier prosecute husbands guilty of domestic violence, she said, and rates of domestic abuse have fallen about 50 percent.

"We've come a long way in this nation and in the world, but we have a long way to go," O'Connor said.

She noted that women around the world who are educated and have more economic opportunity are less likely to be abused.

A report by the International Labour Organization found that although more women are working than ever -- 1.2 billion in 2007 -- they are also more likely than men to get low-paying jobs without any social protection.

It is important for more women to join legal systems worldwide, O'Connor said.

"If the face of justice is always a man, it's no surprise women are less likely to seek help and get help," she said.

The roundtable was a public-private partnership between the State Department and corporations such as Avon, which has made money available to help women around the world empower themselves and seek justice. E-mail to a friend

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