Violence against women and girls is a problem of pandemic proportions to say the least. When I see reports on CNN about women being murdered for simply refusing a marriage proposal I cringe. And while some of the worst cases of treatment against women may be outside of the United States, make no mistake about it there are plenty of issues right here at home. In fact the The Centers for Disease Control (CDC) estimates that the cost of domestic violence is over $8.3 billion per year. This cost includes medical care, mental health services, and lost productivity. A few weeks ago President Obama signed the Violence Against Women Act was signed, but there’s still more to be done. Start with the Ring the Bell, a challenge of Breakthrough TV, a unique global human rights organization. The One million men. One million promises calls on men worldwide to promise to take concrete action to end violence against women. Quite a few celebrities have joined in the cause including Hip Hop Mogul and American businessman, Russell Simmons.
The site offers a bevy of ways men can take the pledge and get involved, check it out and men take the pledge visit www.breakthrough.tv/RingTheBell!
