On the 10th anniversary of the International Day of Elimination of Violence against Women, UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon unveiled a Network of Men Leaders as part of a campaign to end violence against women.

Secretary-General Ban says the network, which currently has 14 members, "will add their voices to the growing global chorus for action, " adding, "70 percent of all women some suffer some form of physical or sexual violence from men during their lifetime". Studies have shown that most of the violence against women is perpetrated by someone known to the victim; husbands, fathers, brothers, uncles and cousins.
 

The network leaders, who were chosen because they had demonstrated a commitment to opposing violence against women, include South Africa's Archbishop Desmond Tutu, former Chilean president Ricardo Lagos, Spanish Prime Minister José Luis Rodríguez Zapatero, Italian Foreign Minister Franco Frattini and Brazilian writer Paulo Coelho.

The UN chief called on men and boys around the world to join the campaign and "break the silence". He said he was committed to the campaign not only in his role as UN secretary general but as a son, husband, father and grandfather.