The World's Women reports

World's Women 2000: Chapter 6 - Human rights and political decision-making
Some important findings:
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All but 26 States have ratified the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women, making it the second most widely ratified human rights treaty.
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Physical and sexual abuse affect millions of girls and women worldwide---yet are known to be seriously under-reported.
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In some African countries, more than half of all women and girls have undergone female genital mutilation and its prevalence is not declining.
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Women and girls comprise half of the world's refugees and, as refugees, are particularly vulnerable to sexual violence while in flight, in refugee camps and/or during resettlement.
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Despite calls for gender equality, women are significantly under-represented in Governments, political parties and at the United Nations.