Speaking on the eve of the Milan-Cortina 2026 Winter Olympics, Annalena Baerbock recalled her years as a young trampoline gymnast chasing the Olympic dream – and the sense of unity that sport can forge, even between rivals.

The Olympic Truce, she said, is a powerful symbol of this possibility – “a living metaphor for the what peace requires: disciplinerespect and courage are necessary to build peace.

Examples from recent decades show how powerful this metaphor can be in practice.

In the 1990s, Open Football Schools brought together more than 150,000 children from ethnic divides in the Balkans, using the game to rebuild trust after conflict.

Similar programs in Colombia and Cyprus have helped fractured communities slowly regain trust through shared games, shared goals and shared terrain.

Equality at home

The ability of sport to break down barriers is not only a matter of peace between nations, but also of equality at the national level.

Gender equality featured prominently in the Assembly President’s remarks. She celebrated the defiant spirit of Canada’s women’s hockey team, which won Olympic gold at Sochi 2014, and adopted the famous provocation “Play like a girl?” » with the answer: Yes – “fast and strong like girls”.

Their message, she says, opposes the stereotypes that continue to limit women and girls far beyond sports.

Milan-Cortina 2026 is expected to be the most balanced Winter Games yet, with 47 percent female athletes.

Italian promise

Italy is committed to ensuring the Games advance inclusion and accessibility on and off the ice, supported by hundreds of planned legacy projects.

The Italian delegation also highlighted moments of extraordinary sportsmanship that embody the Olympic spirit, recalling the generosity of bobsledder Eugenio Monti, who lent equipment to his rivals during the 1964 Innsbruck Games – an act that cost him victory that day but earned him lasting respect.

“Sport and the Olympic Games can be a beacon of hope, an alternative to rivalry and division,” said the Italian representative.

As the world turns to the Winter Games, the UN’s message is simple: the values ​​learned on the ground – fairness, courage, teamwork – are the same values ​​needed to build a more peaceful and inclusive world.

Instead, she found herself linked to a man who “went from being a nice guy to a monster.” He beat her “with his bare hands,” she said. said recently.

The young Yemeni mother is one of an estimated 840 million women worldwide – nearly one in three – who have experienced physical or sexual violence at the hands of an intimate partner, such as a former or current husband.

Worse still, this figure has barely changed since 2000, with a paltry 0.2 percent annual decline over the past two decades.

In the last 12 months alone, 11 percent of women aged 15 or older, or some 316 million, have been victims of physical or sexual violence by an intimate partner..

An “omnipresent” injustice

“Violence against women is one of humanity’s oldest and most widespread injustices, but it remains one of the least followed“, said Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, Director-General of the World Health Organization (WHO).

The lack of progress is documented in a report released Wednesday by the WHO and other United Nations agencies.

It analyzes data from 168 countries, covering the period from 2000 to 2023, revealing “a bleak picture of a deeply neglected crisis and a seriously underfunded response.”

For the first time, national and regional estimates of sexual violence committed by someone other than a partner – a male relative or friend, for example – are included.

The results show that 263 million women have been victims of sexual violence by another partner since the age of 15a figure that experts warn is significantly underestimated due to stigma and fear.

The financing gap persists

The WHO noted that despite growing evidence of effective strategies to prevent violence against women, financial support continues to be reduced.

In 2022, only 0.2% of global development assistance was spent on these programs, and funding has declined further.

This comes at a time when humanitarian emergencies, rising inequality and other challenges put millions of women and girls at risk.

Violence starts early

Women who experience violence face unwanted pregnancies, a higher risk of contracting sexually transmitted infections and suffering from depression, the report said.

Furthermore, violence against women begins early and risks persist throughout life. In the last 12 months alone, 12.5 million young women aged 15 to 19 were victims of physical and/or sexual violence by an intimate partner.

“Data shows that many women first experience violence from a partner when they are adolescents. many children grow up watching their mothers being pushed, hit or humiliated, with violence being a part of everyday life“, said Catherine Russell, executive director of the children’s rights agency. UNICEF.

The key is to break this pattern, she added.

Action, support and investment

The report was published before International Day for the Elimination of Violence against Women and Girlsobserved each year on November 25.

It calls for decisive government action and funding to scale up evidence-based prevention programs and to strengthen health, legal and social services for survivors.

Countries must also invest in data systems to track progress and reach groups most at risk, in addition to implementing laws and policies that empower women and girls.

“No society can call itself just, safe or healthy when half of its population lives in fear.“said Tedros.

“Ending this violence is not just a matter of politics; it’s about dignity, equality and human rights. »

Salma’s dream

Salma* is now back at school, after a judge finally released her to her parents.

She was also referred to a safe space supported by the United Nations reproductive agency, UNFPAwhere she learned her rights and remains true to her dream of becoming a doctor.

“We must urgently act together to end this violence and ensure that every woman and girl, in all their diversity, can exercise their rights, realize their potential and contribute fully to fairer, more equal and more prosperous societies,” said Diene Keita, Executive Director of UNFPA.

*Name changed for protection reasons.