Did you know that as many as one out of three women in the world will be victims of some form of physical abuse in their lifetime? This includes domestic violence, rape, honor killings, and other violent crimes against women. Sadly, in some cultures, these actions are not only condoned, they are encouraged by tradition.

In most cases, the attacker is someone the woman knows. Take domestic violence, for example. The World Health Organization conducted a survey on domestic violence of ten countries in 2005. The only country in the survey in which less than 20 percent of women had been victims of domestic violence was Japan. In the U.S., 22 percent of women had been abused by a significant other, and in the U.K., the figure was 30 percent. Four countries (Bangladesh, Ethiopia, Peru and Tanzania) had abuse rates in excess of 50 percent.

If you’re like me, you’re wondering what you can do about these tragedies that occur each and every day. You might be surprised to learn that you can make a difference just by signing a petition. The United Nations Development Fund for Women is hoping to collect a million signatures on a petition to strengthen the U.N.’s efforts to help stop violence against women through their Say No to Violence Campaign.

You can sign the petition online. Visit the Say No to Violence site to learn more and add your name.

There is no excuse for the number of women who are subjected to violence in the world today. But we can let the United Nations know how important its education programs and legislation efforts against these horrible acts are to us just by signing our names. Won’t you take a moment to add yours? And if you’re in a position to donate to the cause, you may do so here.