UNITED NATIONS, Feb. 14 (Xinhua) -- The United Nations is joining people around the world on Valentine's Day in calling for global action to end all forms of violence against women and girls, the deputy UN spokesman, Eduardo del Buey, told reporters here Thursday.
The deputy UN secretary-general, Jan Eliasson, took part in an event at UN Headquarters coinciding with the manifestations around the world by One Billion Rising, a civil society campaign focusing on ending gender-based violence and created by V-day founder Eve Ensler, del Buey said at a daily news briefing here.
One Billion Rising is a global campaign by women, for women. The movement calls for an end to violence, and for justice and gender equality.
On Feb. 14, a one-day event was held, a call for 1 billion women around the world to walk away from their homes, businesses, and jobs, and join together to dance in a show of collective strength. The word "billion" refers to the 1 billion women who are survivors of abuse.
On Sept. 20, 2012, people from 160 countries had signed up to take part in the campaign. On Feb. 14, 2013, the rally was held in more than 190 countries.
In a message issued here Thursday, UN Secretary-General Ban Ki- moon said that "we must speak out against the global pandemic of violence against women and girls."
He urged all governments to send a Valentine message: a concrete commitment of action to end gender-based violence. He asked governments to bring that commitment to the meeting of the Commission on the Status of Women that will take place at UN Headquarters in less than three weeks.
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