"Violence against women, and particularly intimate partner violence, is a serious public health problem, a deterrent to sustainable development and an egregious human rights violation," said Dr. Claudia Morrissey, president of the American Medical Women's Association at the first Summit on Women's Issues in Global Health and Development, March 7.

Speaking in Hollis E. Cornell Auditorium, Goldwin Smith Hall, Morrissey, who is also on the staff of the World Health Organization (WHO), said 75 percent of violent acts against women occur between partners, including spouses, family members, neighbors and teachers. Intimate partner violence (IPV) takes many forms: women denied the right to sexual health and reproduction decisions; children forced into marriage; girls subjected to genital mutilation. Although IPV is the most common form of violence against women, it is severely underreported, and most victims do not seek help due to shame and fear of further abuse.

"This really affects me because this is how women themselves feel," Morrissey said. She reported that a WHO study found almost half of women believed it was acceptable for a husband to beat his wife if she did not perform her duties. Other causes of violence against women include inadequate education of females, problematic traditional gender norms and dangers associated with political crises and conflicts.

Morrissey provided a number of suggestions to respond to this problem. "Learn, educate and advocate in your community, work to include IPV in medical school curriculum, support the establishment of a United Nations Women's Agency and promote zero tolerance for IPV," she said, noting that IPV, because it is common, often goes untreated.

The forum also hosted a video conference with Weill Cornell Medical College students in Qatar to discuss gender issues they faced as students in a Muslim country, a variety of oral presentations and panel discussions, and a film showing with artist and women's health advocate Lisa Russell.

Vanessa Coleman '10 and Beth Martin '11 had the idea to hold a conference on international women's issues a year ago. "We thought there was a lot of interest on campus just by having a few information sessions in the spring. We got a ton of response, but nothing was out there and established so we wanted to make something of it," Martin explained.

Sponsors of the conference included the American Medical Women's Association, the Student Assembly Finance Commission, the Cornell Global Development Club, Partnership for Honduran Health, MANSI and Cornell Health International.

Lauren McHugh is a writer intern with the Cornell Chronicle.