Former UN Secretary General Kofi Annan says sexual violence against women around the world is an affront to humanity.

Condemning violence of all forms against women and girls, especially, sexual violence when he delivered the inaugural address at the 14th Delhi Sustainable Development Summit (DSDS) on February 5, Mr Annan said: “In too many countries, women face unacceptably high levels of violence, including sexual violence, which is an affront to our common humanity.”

“So we must dedicate ourselves to transforming relations between men and women at all levels of society and put the welfare of women and girls at the heart of all that we do,” Mr Annan said.

In his view, “accelerating the shift to sustainability will require leveraging the full potential of every human being, adding that: “Women and girls are major derivers of development, yet challenges to eliminating discrimination and achieving gender equality remain significant”.

He said: “In India and elsewhere, women continue to be denied opportunities to have a voice in decisions that affect their lives and those of their families and their communities.”

He bemoaned the “continuing gender gap in education – the greatest investment any country can make in its future.”