Preventing Violence against Women
By
Dr Amna Farah
Director Mehera Development & Concern.
Take action, write an article, send an appeal imagine the world without violence against women.
What is violence against women:
Violence against women is perhaps the most shameful human right violation, and it is perhaps the most pervasive. It has no boundaries or geography, culture or wealth, as long as it continues, we can not claim to be making real progress towards development, equality, justice and peace.
UN Declaration on the Elimination of Violence against Women, which states that Violence against Women is:
"Any act of gender-based violence that results in, or is likely to result in, physical, sexual or psychological harm or suffering to women, including threats of such acts, coercion or arbitrary deprivation of liberty, whether occurring in public or in private life." (Paragraph 1)
Gender based violence against women is violence directed against women or that affects women disproportionately.
In any of these categories, violence may be physical, psychological, and sexual. It may be manifested through deprivation or neglect as opposed to overt acts of violence or harassment. These are not mutually exclusive categories. Physical violence by an intimate partner is often accompanied by sexual violence, deprivation, isolation and neglect, as well as by psychological abuse.
Types of violence against women:
Violence in the family:
This includes battering by intimate partners, sexual abuse of female children in the household, marital rape and female genital mutilation and other traditional practices harmful to women. Rape and psychiatric and psychological based treatment to coerce and domesticate women or reorient them to their like and dislikes. Abuse of domestic workers - including involuntary confinement, physical brutality, slavery-like conditions and sexual assault - can also be considered in this category.
Violence against women in the community:
This includes rape, sexual abuse, sexual harassment and assault and homophobic hate crimes at work, in educational institutions and elsewhere. Trafficking, forced prostitution and forced labor fall into this category, which also covers rape and other abuses by armed groups.
Gender-based violence perpetrated or condoned by the state:
All forms of violence curried by state or state actors police, prison guards, soldiers, border guards, and immigration officials and so on. This includes, for example, rape by government forces during armed conflict, forced sterilization, forcible psychiatric treatment, torture in custody and violence by officials against refugee women
The experience or threat of violence affects the lives of women everywhere, cutting across boundaries of wealth, race, and culture. In the home and in the community, in time of war and peace, women are beaten, raped, mutilated and killed.
Global Statistic:
These statistics reveal a worldwide human rights violation:
� At least one out of every three women has been beaten, coerced into sex, or otherwise abused in her lifetime, according to a study based on 50 surveys from around the world. Usually, the abuser is a member of her own family or someone known to her.
� The Council of Europe has stated that domestic violence is the major cause of death and disability for women aged 16 to 44 and accounts for more death and ill-health than cancer or traffic accidents.
� More than 60 million women are 'missing' from the world today as a result of sex-selective abortions and female infanticide, according to an estimate by Amartya Sen, the Nobel Laureate. China�s last census in the year 2000 revealed that the ratio of new-born girls to boys was 100:119. The biological norm is 100:103.
� In the USA, women accounted for 85 per cent of the victims of domestic violence in 1999 (671,110 compared to 120,100 men), according to the UN Special Reporter on violence against women.
� The Russian government estimates that 14,000 women were killed by their partners or relatives in 1999, yet the country still has no law specifically addressing domestic violence.
� The World Health Organization has reported that up to 70 per cent of female murder victims are killed by their male partners.
Causes and Consequences of Violence against Women
Despite its pervasiveness, gender-based violence is not 'natural' or 'inevitable'. It is an expression of historically and culturally specific values and standards. Social and political institutions may foster women�s subservience and violence against them. Certain cultural practices and traditions � particularly those related to notions of purity and are used to excuse such violence
International Human Rights Law and Violence against Women
Human rights law is based on principles of equality and the right to be free from discrimination. Under international law, states must ensure the protection of human rights to all, without discrimination. One of the achievements of women�s rights activists has been to demonstrate that violence against women as a human rights violation
Gender Roles, Discrimination and Society
In every part of the world, women�s roles and positions in society are prescribed. One of the key aspects of every culture is the way it defines gender roles. Almost without exception women are forced into roles that are subservient to men. Virtually every culture in the world contains forms of violence against women that are nearly invisible because they are seen as normal.
Violence against Women in Conflict and Post-Conflict Situations
Women are increasingly vulnerable to violence in times of instability, conflict, and in post-conflict situations. The targeting of women is part of the �culture of war� and gender-based violence is used as a military tactic
Violence Against Women in the Family
The home is an extremely dangerous place for millions of women throughout the world. The Council of Europe has stated that domestic violence is the biggest cause of death and disability for all women aged 16 to 44
From stud titled Domestic violence in North Africa and the Middle Region curried by Amna Farah revealed the following
Domestic violence in the region of North Africa and the Middle East region is related to socio-cultural and socio- economic motives. In most of the cases it relates to differences in the level of communication and ability of ability of handling each other through dialogue. words forgets its meaning and dialogue become a sort of harassment and oppression .since women don�t possess strong physical powers like men women become the scope-goats of harassment since she can�t respond or defend herself . when women feel cruelty of oppression they are derived to respond verbally using harmful words which forces men to increase their harassment and oppression .household violence against women take different forms staring with insulting abandonment slapping or even sending out of the house or the cruel behavior of killing.
Wives represent the majority which faces household violence and harassment followed by sisters and mothers and daughters. the socio-economic factor is attributed to the low level of the standard of living however it also takes place at families with higher level of standard of living .where men tend to overcome possession of women assets and passions using different forms of violence. Men use of Physical power usage in violence represent 45.6% oppression through polygamy and confinement to the house and prevention from socialization and making friends or visiting relatives represent 35.4%. Physiological and psychological harassment against the first wife to coerce her to surrender her rights or accept certain conditions related to marriage issues and choice of partner is very common, where girls refuse to accept organized marriage or a partner selected by the family. When the wife asks for divorce, when the husband is suspicious about his wife behaviors, insulting of parents or insulting faith or belief this represents 19% of violent cases.
However cultural reason represents 76.8% there is a positive relationship between household violence and level of education and awareness it is observed under low level of education among family members women victims of harassments represent 76.8 % Educated women who are victims of harassment represent 38.9 %. the majority of men who practice harassment have low educational level however it is noticed that violence increases between highly educated partners because of conflicts between the adherence to traditional values where men are in most of the cases are advantaged and educated women awareness to their rights . These issues create a tough dialogue which in most of the cases it diverge into violence.
Poverty and low standard of living in most of the cases creates the conditions for socio-economic violence causing double oppression and conditions for violence where women are oppressed and coerced to accept the violence because the are destitute and suffer absolute poverty.
Violence when it comes from the nearest person as if it reflects all form of social harassment because women can�t change this phenomenon since they can not defend themselves where there is no civil laws and legislations that can defends their cases .even if there is legislations women are reluctant to claim their right and dignity cause the cultural norms and value are not in her side, .Even if legislations is there it is twisted and women faces harassment with calmness. Especially under informal problem solving situations.
The survey reflects that women accept such situations because of their kids and repercussions of separation or because of other socio-cultural and socio �economic factors.
Women organizations working in the area of social Justice ,human rights and violence against women are making life more easer by handling and supporting women in accessing legal assistance, offering social and psychological support and helping women and both partners to overcome their trauma.
