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October 29, 2000
The Daily Star
At least one woman in every three has been beaten, coerced into
sex, or otherwise abused in her lifetime, in Asia and elsewhere.
Most often, the abuser is a member of her own family. Today,
violence against women is considered as "a public health
priority" and "a human rights concern."
"Women
can experience physical or mental abuse throughout their lifecycle: in infancy,
childhood and/or adolescence, or during adulthood or older age," deplores
the Geneva-based World Health Organization (WHO) in a recent report.
Here
are findings from the UN health agency report:
Population-based
studies report between 12 and 25 per cent of women have experienced attempted or
completed forced sex by an intimate partner or ex-partner at some time in their
lives.
Interpersonal
violence was the 10th leading cause of death for women 15-44 years of age in
1988.
Forced
prostitution, trafficking for sex and sex tourism appear to be growing. Existing
data and statistical sources on trafficking of women and children estimated
500,000 women entering the European Union in 1995.
In
every country where reliable, large-scale studies have been conducted, results
indicate that "between 10 to 50 per cent of women report they have been
physically abused by an intimate partner in their lifetime," according to
WHO.
These
are all human rights concern. But violence against women continues to exist. One
reason for this, according to Center for Health and Gender Equality (CHANGE), is
that many cultures hold that men have the right to control their wives' behavior.
Women
who challenge this right may be punished. CHANGE
is a research and advocacy organization that seeks to integrate concern for
gender equity and social justice into international health policy and practice.
It recently published a comprehensive report on the subject entitled Ending
Violence Against Women.
In
Asian countries like Bangladesh, Cambodia, India, Pakistan, and Papua New
Guinea, violence is frequently viewed as "physical chastisement" the
husband's right to "correct" an erring wife.
Worldwide,
studies identify a consistent list of events that are said to
"trigger" violence. These include: disobeying her husband, talking
back, not having food ready on time, failing to care adequately for the children
or home, questioning him about money or girlfriends, going somewhere without his
permission, refusing him sex, or expressing suspicious of infidelity.
Women's
response to the abuse of their husbands are similar: fear of retribution, lack
of other means of economic support, concern for the children, emotional
dependence, lack of support from family and friends, and an abiding hope that
"he will change."
In
many parts of the world, marriage is interpreted as "granting men the right
to unconditional sexual access to their wives" and "the power to
enforce this access through force if necessary."
"What
else have I married you for?" the husband asked an Indian wife after she
avoided sex with him. As a result, the woman was battered.
This
scenario is also true in the Philippines. In the Western world 43 per cent of
the married women surveyed said they were afraid to refuse their husband's
sexual advances.
The
UN health agency claims violence against impairs their physical and mental
health. Abused women, it points out, are more likely to suffer from depression,
anxiety, psychosomatic symptoms, eating problems, and sexual dysfunctions.
The
Declaration on the Elimination of Violence Against Women defines violence
against women: "any act of gender-based violence that results in, or is
likely to result in, physical, sexual or mental harm or suffering to women,
including threats of such acts coercion or arbitrary deprivation of liberty,
whether occurring in public or in private life."
"Violence
against women is not just a case of the AIDS epidemic," points out Dr Peter
Piot, executive director of the joint UN program on HIV/AIDS. "It can also
be a consequence of it".
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