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UN-owning gender violence
- A new UN body could give Nepali women the impetus to fight violence
SEP 05 -
The Aug. 9 cover page of Time magazine featuring an Afghani woman, Bibi Aisha, with chopped nose has not only fueled a new debate about the aftermath of war in Afghanistan but also about the religious extremism and brutality in the form of violence against women. The picture worth a thousand words showcases the 18-year-old’s fate as decided by the Taliban—on charges of running away from her abusive in-laws, her own husband slices off her ears and nose in front of the whole community.
Six out of 10 women worldwide experience physical violence, including sexual violence, during their lifetimes, according to the United Nations (UN) statistics. In South Asia, one in every two women faces domestic violence. In India alone, one in five married women face such violence and 80 percent of women in Pakistan are subjected to verbal, sexual, emotional or physical abuse at home. Likewise, 47 and 60 percent of women get abused by their intimate partners in Bangladesh and Sri Lanka, respectively. And, about 50 percent of Afghani women are destined to live with recurring domestic violence.
About 2,300 women and girls’ commit suicide annually and 1.8 million women of productive age are depressed in Afghanistan, according to a recent Afghanistan Health Ministry study. Islamabad-based Progressive Women’s Association (PWA) has reported that 4,000 women are burnt annually on dowry related cases in Pakistan.
Human right activists believe that in Bangladesh there have been brutal killings of women in the name of religious values for a long time. Women in Bangladesh are being tortured under Fatwa (a legal pronouncement in Islam issued by a religious leader on any specific issue) even today, even in the face of persistent argument of activists that Fatwa rulings have led many poor and vulnerable women to commit suicide.
The practice of bride burning over dowry disputes is rampant in India. Yet most of these cases are fabricated by in-laws and/or husbands as accidental burning or as suicides, hence vast majority of such heinous crimes are underreported. According to Indian women rights activists, up to 90 percent of such cases are booked as accidents. Though prohibited long back (in 1961) by law, demanding dowry from the bride’s family prior to marriage is still rife in certain states of India.
Nepal is no exception as far as prevalence of gender-based violence (GBV) is concerned. Though religious extremism is not a big problem in Nepal as in some other countries in the sub-continent, deep-rooted prejudice against women, gender-biased cultural practices like Chhaupadi and forcing payments in cash or kind in the name of dowry, particularly in the Tarai region, have been contributing to atrocities against women. The family tradition of selling girls into bonded servitude in pockets of Nepal is another trigger of gender-based violence.
The Maternal Mortality and Morbidity Study (2008-09), jointly undertaken by the Family Health Division and the Department of Health Services, reports suicide as the leading cause of death for women of reproductive age (15-49 years) in Nepal. The study findings suggest that poverty, pervasive prejudices, domestic violence and abuses, depression, dowry and abortion are the key contributory factors to suicide among these women.
There is an increasing body of literature showing direct correlation between poverty, gender inequality and violence against women. Empirical studies have shown that increase in domestic violence is pervasive in low-income households. Women and girls from poor families are often constrained by traditional attitudes and practices that accord them subordinate status within the family by weakening their bargaining position and limiting their mobility. This discrimination against women and girls of poor and illiterate families which begins at home commonly manifests in forced sex-selective abortions and infanticides.
The socialisation process in majority of South Asian families builds on patriarchy and enforces discriminatory roles and responsibilities on men and women, fueling unequal power relations in the family. This imbalanced relation expands to communities and state institutions and reflect in polices, programmes and practices. Unless this cycle is disrupted at every level, eliminating gender-based violence will remain an elusive dream.
Thanks to the untiring efforts of women rights activists the world over, awareness on gender issues has risen significantly in many parts of the world over the last few years, yet gender inequality, injustice and violence against women remain deeply ingrained in our societies.
Globally, abundant resources have been spent in the name of women’s empowerment and gender equality, however, the existing programmes do not seem to be working. Thus it seems every organisation working on these issues needs to reorganise and rethink their strategies in terms of both resources allocation and outreach. On July 2, the UN announced creation of a new entity for women’s empowerment through merger of its four gender agencies—The UN Entity for Gender Equality and the Empowerment of Women (UN Women). UN Women is the joint new face of the Division for the Advancement of Women (DAW, established in 1946), International Research and Training Institute for the Advancement of Women (INSTRAW, established in 1976), Office of the Special Adviser on Gender Issues and Advancement of Women (OSAGI, established in 1997) and UN Development Fund for Women (UNIFEM,established in 1976). The key UN Women functions include supporting inter-government bodies in formulation of policies, standards and norms, helping member states implement these standards, providing technical and financial support to countries and forging partnerships with civil society.
This move is a result of long negotiations between UN member states and efforts of global women’s movement. When it comes to achieving the targets envisioned by this initiative at regional, national and local levels, everything boils down to the political will and commitment towards meeting previous and new resolutions made by the member states. By early next year when UN Women will be operational, let us hope Nepal will have learned from its past mistakes and would be able to move forward by utilising this opportunity.
(The author is a development professional)
Bhawana Upadhyay upadhyay_b@yahoo.com
Posted on: 2010-09-06 07:46
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