UN launches kNOwVAWdata project in Asia-Pacific

BANGKOK, August 25 (TNA) - The United Nations has launched an initiative to stop violence against women (VAW) in Asia and the Pacific, aimed to concretely solve the problem by 2030. The United Nations Population Fund Asia-Pacific (UNFPA) and the Australian Embassy to Thailand co-launched the kNOwVAWdata: Measuring Violence Against Women in Asia-Pacific initiative in Bangkok on August 24, in which representatives from UN Asia-Pacific offices, the Australian Embassy in the Thai capital and international journalists participated. On the occasion, UNFPA Director for Asia and the Pacific Yoriko Yazugawa said up to one-third of global female population had been victimised by violent abuse physically, mentally or sexually by their spouses or male family members. The UNFPA regional director acknowledged that her office has, thus, launched such the project in an attempt to find the root cause of the violence against women and its concrete solution through data gathered in Asia and the Pacific. According to the UNFPA regional director, the kNOwVAWdata initiative is supported by the Australian Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade, which has worked closely with UNFPA for over a decade. The UNFPA regional chief stressed that the project is one of the United Nations sustainable development goals, in which VAW has been targeted to be eradicated worldwide by 2030. (TNA)