UNITED Nations (UN) Secretary General Ban Ki-Moon on Thursday urged governments worldwide to challenge the culture of discrimination that allows violence against women.

“On this International Day, I call on all governments to make good on their pledges to end all forms of violence against women and girls in all parts of the world, and I urge all people to support this important goal,” Ban said in his message, as the whole world marks the International Day for the elimination of violence against women on November 25.

Ban stressed that millions of women and girls around the world are assaulted, beaten, raped, mutilated or even murdered in what constitutes as appalling violations of their human rights.

“From battlefield to home, on the streets, at school, in the workplace or in their community, up to 70 percent of women experience physical or sexual violence at some point in their life,” the UN chief said.

Just because of a culture of impunity, most of the perpetrators go unpunished as women and young girls are often afraid to speak out, Ban said.

“We must fight the sense of fear and shame that punishes victims who have already endured crime and now face stigma. It is the perpetrators who should feel disgraced, not their victims,” the UN chief added.