UN agency joins forces with United States retailer to end violence against women

The United States retailer Marshalls has signed on to a United Nations Development Fund for Women (UNIFEM) campaign to bring an end to violence against women.

The company, one of the leading American family apparel and home fashion businesses, will help bring an additional 150,000 signatures to the “Say NO to Violence against Women” drive, part of Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon’s multi-year UNiTE to End Violence against Women campaign.

UNIFEM hopes to gather 1 million names on the website of its initiative which wraps up on 25 November, when the signatures will be handed over to Mr. Ban in observance of the International Day for the Elimination of Violence against Women.

So far, over 30 governments, nearly 200 civil society groups and 250,000 individuals from all over the world have added their names to the campaign.

“One in three women and girls will be a victim of violence in her lifetime. To end this pervasive human rights violation, we need strong partnerships,” said UNIFEM Executive Director Inés Alberdi, voicing hope that the partnership with Marshalls will further efforts in the US to keep women and girls safe.

Along with the US non-governmental organization (NGO) Safe Horizons, actress Leighton Meester and UNIFEM, Marshalls kicked off its activities for Domestic Violence Awareness Month with a promotional event in New York today.

As part of its annual “Shop Til It Stops” programme, the retailer will donate $1 for every shoe purchased over the next two weeks in a bid to end domestic violence.