I completely agree that "[t]he issue needs to be resolved internationally, with broad-based initiatives by multiple governments," but it's just not an accurate comparison by the numbers to make a claim that there is any type of equivalency in violence toward women in all geographical areas. I work for a 28,000 employee, $4.5 billion revenue company that has a lesbian as the CEO, and no one gives a shit because she's an amazing executive. Whereas, the Saudi government announced recently that sometime in the next several years they're going to consider giving some civil rights to women at some point. The West has a strong history of violence toward women, but we've made progress.
Civil rights have been uneven, yes. Upper-class women certainly have an easier time with this in the United States, particularly if they're white, and there are still struggles. I think it is important to appreciate progress where and when it does occur, while having the perspective to push internationally. Sometimes, numbers don't tell the whole story, unfortunately. Market pressures affect women everywhere, for instance, in ways that aren't always studied or elaborated. But particularly with sexual assault, there is so much pressure to not report, from which numbers can be dependably taken, that we have to be a little looser about it.
Well I think we can agree that no matter what the numbers, we all need to recognize and respect that human and civil rights are not reserved for one group of people over another. Rule of law (in which all are treated equal under the same set of laws) is the most important Western ideal, in my opinion. To me, that doesn't mean that laws are what civilize us, but rather that we acknowledge and respect that everyone has a right to exist free from violence, sexual violence, of course, being one of the worst forms.