U.S. must advocate for international agreement to address gender violence

"Having passed the Violence Against Women Act (VAWA) in Congress, despite attempts to block it by extreme conservatives, the United States has demonstrated its commitment to ending gender-based violence at home and can now support the world's efforts to do the same," contributor Chloë Cooney writes in the RH Reality Check blog. "This week and last, representatives of nations around the world have gathered to address the global epidemic of gender-based violence at the United Nations Commission on the Status of Women (CSW)," she notes, adding, "Advocates for women's rights must urge the global community to put forth an outcome document that expands protections against violence for women everywhere and protects their reproductive rights, without any caveats or conditions" (3/13).