UN: Violence, discrimination slow advances by women

WOMEN around the world enjoy more rights than ever before but still face discrimination in the workplace and far too often fall victim to violence at home, a UN report said.

The document issued by UN Women, the new agency headed by Chile’s former president Michelle Bachelet, hailed the progress women have made at the ballot box, noting that “virtually universal” suffrage now is the rule around the world, compared to a century ago when just two countries allowed women to vote.

But even as women enjoy greater influence and political rights, restrictions in the personal realm have slowed their progress.