<%-- Page Title--%> Rights investigation <%-- End Page Title--%>

November 28, 2004

Elimination of Violence against Women

From birth to death, in times of peace as well as war, women face discrimination and violence at the hands of the state, the community and the family.

For women, both peace and war are times of discrimination and violence. However, political instability and conflict present special dangers for women. Violence against women is often used as a weapon of war, to punish or dehumanise the women and persecute the community to which they belong. Violence against women doesn't necessarily reduce once conflict has abated. Women in war-torn societies often face increased levels of violence at home and in their community.
* At least one out of every three women has been beaten, coerced into sex, or abused in her lifetime. This figure comes from a study based on 50 surveys from around the world.
* More than 60 million women are "missing" from the world today as a result of sex-selective abortions and female infanticide.
*Every year, millions of women are raped by partners, relatives, friends and strangers, by employers and colleagues, soldiers and members of armed groups.
* Violence in the family is endemic all over the world; the overwhelming majority of victims are women and girls. In the USA, for example, women account for around 85 per cent of the victims of domestic violence.
* The World Health Organisation has reported that up to 70 per cent of female murder victims are killed by their male partners.
*Small arms and light weapons are the main tools of almost every conflict. Women and children account for nearly 80% of the casualties, according to the UN secretary-general.
* Resistance

All over the world, women have led brave and inspiring campaigns against this violence. They have achieved dramatic changes in laws, policies and practices. But the violence persists. With the Stop Violence against Women campaign, Amnesty International is joining the struggle.

What is violence against women?
Amnesty International bases its work on the definition in the UN Declaration on the Elimination of Violence against Women. This defines violence against women as:

"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."

Gender-based violence against women is violence directed against a woman because she is a woman or that affects women disproportionately. Progressive interpretations of this definition affirm that acts of omission, such as neglect or deprivation can constitute violence against women. Structural violence (harm arising from the organization of the economy) is also considered by some to be part of violence against women. Violence against women may be physical, psychological, and sexual.

Violence in the family, this includes
*battering by intimate partners, fathers or brothers
*sexual abuse of female children and young women in the household by family members
*dowry-related violence
*marital rape
*female genital mutilation and other traditional practices harmful to women
It also covers abuse of domestic workers including
*involuntary confinement
*physical brutality
* slavery-like conditions
* sexual assault.

Violence in the community, this includes
*rape, sexual abuse, sexual harassment and assault at work, in educational institutions and elsewhere.
*trafficking
*forced prostitution
* forced labour
* rape and other abuses by armed groups.

Violence by the state, this includes
*acts of violence committed or condoned by police, prison guards, soldiers, border guards, immigration officials
*rape by government forces during armed conflict
* torture in custody
* violence by officials against refugee women

A universal abuse
It is easy to think that human rights abuses happen to other people, in places of conflict or repression. The truth is that violence against women is an abuse that is not confined to any political or economic system. It is prevalent in every society in the world. It cuts across boundaries of wealth, race and culture. It affects the young and the old. Wherever you live, women are suffering violence.

Long-term damage
The consequences of violence against women go far beyond immediate physical damage to the victim. For many they last a lifetime. Women who have been raped may suffer unwanted pregnancy, HIV/AIDS infection and rejection by their community. Long-term effects of violence against women include abuse of alcohol and drugs, depression, other mental health disorders and suicide.

Widespread harm
The repercussions of violence against women reverberate throughout the family and community. Children in particular are damaged when exposed to it. Actual or threatened violence creates an atmosphere of fear that limits the lives of women everywhere. When women's lives are restricted by force and fear, society is impoverished economically, politically and culturally.

Discrimination
The underlying cause of violence against women lies in gender discrimination - the denial of women's equality with men in all areas of life. Women are also targeted because of their race, class, culture, sexual identity or HIV status, or because they are from poor or marginalized communities.

Control
Violence is used by men to dominate women, particularly through the control of their sexuality. Women who do not conform to accepted standards of femininity often face severe punishments.

Society
Violence against women is not "natural" or "inevitable" - it persists because society allows it to. Virtually every culture in the world contains forms of violence against women that are nearly invisible because they are seen as normal or acceptable.

Conflict
During armed conflicts, violence against women is often used as a weapon of war, in order to dehumanize the women themselves, or to persecute the community to which they belong. Women who flee their homes to escape violence or conflict, or leave to try to find a better life, often find themselves at risk of abuse and exploitation, with little or no protection.

Impunity
As long as violence against women is hidden, condoned or ignored by society and authorities, as long as the perpetrators are not punished, violence against women will continue.

Control of women's sexuality is a powerful means through which men exert their dominance over women. Women who do not conform to accepted standards of female identity - such as lesbians or women who chose to live independently - often face severe punishments. Often the punishment takes a sexualized form, such as rape.

Reproductive rights
The right to reproductive health care and the right to reproductive autonomy - are central to women's control over their own lives. Women have the right to decide freely and responsibly the number, spacing and timing of their children. They have the right to attain the highest standard of sexual and reproductive health. This requires access to healthcare and information and education about contraception. Women have the right to make decisions free from discrimination, coercion and violence.

Culture, community and violence
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 assigned to roles which are subservient to those of men. These roles are often enforced through violence. Social and political institutions foster women's subservience and violence against women. Certain cultural practices and traditions - particularly those related to ideas of purity and chastity -- are invoked to explain or excuse such violence. Virtually every culture in the world contains forms of violence against women that are nearly invisible because they are seen as "normal".

Often, the behaviour of a woman is considered to reflect on her family and community. If a woman is seen to be defying her cultural role, she may be held to have brought shame and dishonour on her family and community. In such circumstances, violence or the threat of violence is used as a means of punishment and control. In the most extreme cases, this can result in permanent disfigurement and even death. So-called "honour" crimes are treated leniently in the legal codes of many countries. Even in countries where laws criminalize violence against women, tolerance of violence may be found at all levels of society.

At least 270 women were murdered in "honour killings" - usually by their husbands or brothers - in 2002 in Punjab province alone. The figures were compiled by the non-governmental Human Rights Commission of Pakistan, based on police reports. Some were killed because they protested against forced marriages or asserted their right to choose their husband. Others were killed for actions such as a look misconstrued as a sign of an illicit relationship.

Worldwide women have a higher incidence of poverty than men; their poverty is more severe than that of men; and increasing numbers of women are poor. The negative effects of globalization are leaving more and more women trapped on the margins of society.

Poverty can be both a cause and a consequence of violence against women. Women from all socio-economic groups are at risk of physical, sexual and psychological abuse and deprivation by their intimate partners. However, a recent World Health Organization report suggests that women living in poverty suffer disproportionately.

Lack of economic autonomy, denial of property rights or access to housing, and fear of losing their children, means that few women can risk the truly daunting consequences of leaving violent situations and attempting to secure justice from a legal system that may be discriminatory or indifferent.

Source: Amnesty International.