Knut Storberget, the Norwegian Minister of Justice, this week joined with UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon at the launch of the Network of Men Leaders to Combat Violence against Women.
The launch was held at the New York headquarters of the UN and also included a variety of former heads of state, current prime ministers, well known authors and even Nobel laureates, as reported in The Norway Post.
The issue of violence against women has been a top priority for the Norwegian government since Storberget took office four years ago. The Justice Minister has also been a leading campaigner for the issue in European theatre. In the summer, Storberget hosted ministers from across Europe to discuss the topic at a Council of Europe conference. Now he takes up the cause on a global stage with the United Nations.
According to official figures, one out of every three women across the globe is coerced into sex, beaten or subjected to some form of abuse in her lifetime. Storberget claims that it is essential that the code of silence which surrounds the issue of violence towards women is broken.
Storberget has also suggested that getting men to speak openly and forcefully about the subject is imperative, towards overcoming victim shame and social stigmas that continue in most nations.