3000 young people from all over the world attended the Forum for Young Women at the 5^th World Youth Conference in León, Guanajuato, on 24 August 2010, in support of the Campaign by the United Nations Secretary General: UNiTE to End Violence against Women. They watched performances by Debi Nova, a Costa Rican singer based in the United States; G-Town, three Palestinian artists who live in a refugee camp in the occupied territories of Palestine.; and Pambo, a Mexican singer — three groups with diverse styles sharing the same objective: to convey the message that the time has come to end violence against women and girls. “I ask all the women who are in a violent relationship that they should spread the word, overcome fear and terror and get out of the vicious circle of violence,” Debi Nova remarked, moments before performing with her guitar.

Inés Alberdi, Executive Director of UNIFEM (part of UN Women) and Nadine Gasman, Director of the UNiTE Campaign for the Latin American and Caribbean Region, delivered the opening remarks at the concert, stressing the need to empower youth in the fight against gender-based violence. In Latin America and the Caribbean statistics are showing that the problem is of alarming proportions: nine countries of the region are among the eleven countries with the highest murder rate of women recorded in the world. Globally, almost half of all acts of sexual abuse affect girls younger than 16. Thus it is vitally important for young people to stand up and demand change.

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