Here are some of the facts about the issue. Did you know that one in 3 women may suffer from abuse and violence in her lifetime? This is an appalling human rights violation.  Each day, each hour, each minute, a woman in the world is a victim of violence.

Imagine a world without violence against women.  Test your knowledge on how different that world would be by taking our quiz.

1.  According to a United Nations report, how many women worldwide have experienced violence in their lives?
a.    1 out of every 3 women
b.    1 out of every 5 women
c.    1 out of every 10 women

ANSWER:  (a) 1 out of every 3 women -- At least one out of every three women around the world has been beaten, coerced into sex, or otherwise abused in her lifetime — with the abuser usually someone known to her. Perhaps the most pervasive human rights violation that we know today, it devastates lives, fractures communities, and stalls development.

2.  What percentage of women who die by homicide are killed by a former or current husband or partner?
a.    20%
b.    50%
c.    70%

ANSWER: (b) 50% -- Based on several surveys from around the world, half of the women who die from homicides are killed by their current or former husbands or partners. Women are killed by people they know and die from gun violence, beatings and burns, among numerous other forms of abuse

3.  In the United States, a 2003 report estimated that the direct costs of intimate partner violence were:
a.    $900 million
b.    $1.6 billion
c.    $5.8 billion

ANSWER: (c) $5.8 billion -- A 2003 report by the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) estimates that the costs of intimate partner violence in the United States alone exceed US$5.8 billion per year: US$4.1 billion are for direct medical and health care services, while productivity losses account for nearly US$1.8 billion. Violence against women impoverishes individuals, families and communities, reducing the economic development of each nation

4.  Which of these risk factors, for women aged 15 to 44 years, rates higher than rape and domestic violence?
a.    Cancer
b.    War
c.    None rated higher

ANSWER: (c) None rated higher -- For women aged 15 to 44 years, violence is a major cause of death and disability.  In a 1994 study based on World Bank data about ten selected risk factors facing women in this age group, rape and domestic violence rated higher than cancer, motor vehicle accidents, war and malaria 

5.  In a clinic in Zambia, how many HIV-positive women opt out of treatment due to fears of violence?
a.    20%
b.    30%
c.    60%

ANSWER: (c) 60% -- For many women, the fear of violence prevents them from declaring their HIV-positive status and seeking help and treatment. A clinic in Zambia reported that 60 percent of eligible women opt out of treatment due to fears of violence and abandonment. In 1998 Gugu Dhlamini was stoned to death by men in her community in South Africa after she declared her HIV-positive status on radio and television on World AIDS Day.

So please show our support for this movement as readers of Lipsticking by adding your signature through this widget. RocketXL has this micro-site that I invite you to visit that includes more facts and real stories as well as the Signature meter where you can view real-time progress. It also suggest how you can take further action if you wish by following these simple steps:

• Pass this post on to at least three people and ask them to add their signatures
• Include the Say No Widget on your blog, website or Facebook page
• Include a link to the campaign in your email signature
• Write about the campaign on your blog, Twitter, Facebook page, other social media tool or just through email

And of course there's a place that you can donate to the cause as well.

So thanks for listening and let's show the world that we can make a difference.