Day 2
Over the next two weeks, the Global Sisterhood will be writing about a different aspect of gender violence in an effort to highlight this multifaceted and critically important topic and to increase my own awareness, as well as that of others. I will also be writing in recognition of the 16 Days of Activism against Gender Violence, an international campaign marked by organizations and groups of concerned citizens all over the world.
Background
The 16 Days of Activism campaign was conceived in 1991 at the first Women's Global Leadership Institute conference, sponsored by the Center for Women's Global Leadership. The dates, November 25 – December 10, were chosen by participants to emphasize the link between “violence against women and human rights and to emphasize that such violence is a violation of human rights.” [1] In addition to the International Day for the Elimination of Violence Against Women (Nov. 25) and International Human Rights Day (Dec. 10), the 16 Days also bring attention to other important dates, such as International Women Human Rights Defenders Day (Nov. 29), World AIDS Day (Dec. 1) and the anniversary of the Montreal Massacre (Dec. 6). Since 1991, thousands of organizations in hundreds of countries have participated in the 16 Days Campaign, reflecting the fact that Gender Violence is a global concern that requires global attention and activism. Each year, the campaign has highlighted a theme, from "Democracy without Women's Human Rights . . . is not Democracy" (1993) to "For the Health of Women, For the Health of the World: No More Violence," (2004-2005). This year, the theme is Commit ▪ Act ▪ Demand: We CAN End Violence Against Women!
Why the Global Sisterhood is blogging about Gender Violence
This year’s theme for the 16 Days meets one of the Global Sisterhood’s central tenets: SOLIDARITY. On Day 1, I wrote to the Prime Minister of Canada, asking him to take action on violence against women and noted that up to 70%, or 1 in 3, women worldwide will experience violence during her lifetime. This means that most women have experienced or will experience violence directly. It also means that all of us, whether are we are aware of this fact or not, know someone who has, is currently, or will experience gender based violence. I cannot speak for others, but I can say that, for me, knowing someone who has experienced violence has a profound effect on me. It affects me in the sense that I feel upset and angry that a friend was subjected to violence, but also because there is an awareness that ‘if it could happen to you, it could happen to me’. It means that, to varying degrees, all women live with a sense of insecurity (i.e. lack of security, not lack of self-esteem), the feeling that we may be at risk of violence. We may feel it when we are walking somewhere, alone, late at night or entering a poorly lit entrance way or stairwell. And yet there is the reality that many women face violence from people they know. All of which is to say that we are all affected by violence, in some way or other.
About Gender
It is also important to note that when we speak of gender violence, we are referring to not only to women, but also girls and persons who face violence in relation to their gender identity, such transgendered, two-spirited, intersex, or queer persons. Gay, lesbian, and bisexual persons also face violence based on the ways in which others perceive them as subverting so-called gender norms or roles. Stereotypical ideas that exclusively associate ‘manhood’ and ‘womanhood’ with heterosexuality mean that people who do not conform to these notions are at risk of oppression and violence. Whereas men and boys are also victims of violence, women and girls are more likely to experience specific forms of violence specifically because of their gender. Women and girls are also more vulnerable to violence due to gender inequalities and discrimination against them based on their gender. Lack of access to education, illiteracy, lower wages, lack of economic opportunities, patriarchal attitudes, oppressive gender norms and roles, sexism, heterosexism, and other related factors all place women and girls at a greater risk of violence.
Solidarity and Sisterhood
Much more must be done to if we are to eliminate gender violence. Significant gains in many parts of the world have been made; however, the laws and policies put into place to protect us have not brought an end to gender based violence. In some cases, it is laws and policies that further entrench and condone gender based violence, such as a law recently passed in Afghanistan which “gives a husband the right to withdraw basic maintenance from his wife, including food, if she refuses to obey his sexual demands” [2], among other extremely oppressive measures. In a world where millions have access to technology that increases our capacity to obtain and transmit information, we have the power to support one another in the struggle for truly universal, equality, and dignity. And with this power, comes the responsibility to act. When we turn our backs on the pain and suffering of others, we turn our backs on our own humanity, on our capacities to become better than we are, to learn and to grow. I believe that we not only CAN achieve change, but that we MUST act together to end gender violence. We owe it to ourselves, our sisters, and our brothers to take a stand against gender violence today.
Over the next two weeks, the Global Sisterhood will address various aspects of gender violence, including:
- Violence against girls, forced and early marriage
- Violence against women and girls with disabilities
- Activism against gender violence: International Women Human Rights Defenders Day
- Violence against women with disabilities
- Gender violence, HIV and AIDS, and sexual violence and conflict (rape as a weapon of war)
- The National Day of Remembrance and Action to End Violence Against Women (Dec. 6)
- Human Trafficking
If you have any suggestions, comments, links, articles, ideas, or thoughts to share, please leave a comment and I will get back to you as soon as possible. If you would like me to post an article you wrote or a link to an event or action, please let me know. Thank you and I hope to hear from you soon.
Sources
[1] Rutgers University, Centre for Women’s Global Leadership. “About the 16 Days.” http://www.cwgl.rutgers.edu/16days/about.html
[2] Human Rights Watch. “Afghanistan: Law Curbing Women’s Rights Takes Effect.”
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