Condemnation of violence against women is widespread. But how do communities actually eliminate attacks? What works?
In March, the UN Commission on the Status of Women (CSW) will discuss the elimination and prevention of all forms of violence against women and girls. The issue is a priority under the UK's leadership of the G8 this year.
But how effective are global high-level meetings at tackling the problem? Can they be effective or does grassroots community work hold the key? How can women feel able to access justice?
Liz Ford, the Guardian Global development's deputy editor, chairs the discussion and is joined down the line from Rome by Irene Khan, director of the International Development Law Organisation, which recently released a report advocating radical legal empowerment for women, and from Monrovia by Korto Williams, country director of ActionAid Liberia, who will talk about her work tackling the root causes of sexual violence. In the studio is Andrew Long, from Britain's Foreign and Commonwealth Office, which last year launched its prevention of sexual violence in conflict initiative.
We also hear from Lakshmi Puri, deputy executive director of UN Women, and Professor Gita Sen, from the Institute of Management in Bangalore, who writes extensively on women's issues.
