The Woman’s Body is a Battleground

Guest post by Samar Esapzai, a visual artist and PhD student in International Rural Development and Gender Studies.

In an enlightening class I took last semester, my professor said something that stuck with me long after the class/semester ended, for it held so much raw truth. She said:

“The woman’s body is the battleground upon which cultural and religious wars are fought.”

Being a woman in any given society, whether it may be within South/Central Asia or in the West, there are often triggers of distress and tension, and the constant battle with one’s image and appearance that plays over and over again in a woman’s head like a broken record. We live in a world where, right from the time we are born up until we die, we are told that our body defines us; that our sexuality should be proscribed – protected; and that we should do everything in our power to guard our bodies – our honour – from the enemy: men. And, if we don’t, then the blame falls solely upon us.

While there are some who manage to break free from this never-ending cycle of staring, leering, gawking, examining, judging, etc., most women will, however, be forever stuck in this rut for the majority of their adult lives. The worst part is that some women have even accepted it – accepted that they, their bodies, are the reason behind every incident of sexual harassment, sexual abuse, and all other forms of violence that have been, and will be, inflicted upon them. It has almost become like an unspoken sort of awareness, where a woman suddenly realizes how dangerous her body is to her safety. And if she slips – even once – she will have no choice but to suffer the dire consequences that accompany it.

Furthermore, when we look back at history, especially in the context of war and conflict, women’s bodies have often been treated as territories to be conquered, claimed and marked by the contender. This is why violence, especially sexual violence, against women was and still is quite common during communal/ethnic conflicts. Women would not only be raped but their bodies would be marked in such a way so as to remind the opposing enemy that their women – who are supposed to be “pure” and a representative of the community’s/nation’s “honour” – are stained.

Such markings would include stripping a woman naked and serenading her in shame in public; physical mutilation and disfigurement, i.e. cutting off a woman’s private parts, or other parts of her body, such as her nose, ears, hair, etc.; tattooing and branding a woman on her private parts, i.e. her breasts and/or genitals, with hate slogans against the enemy; and other forms of debasements to emphasize conquest and suppression.

Thus, the violation of women’s bodies equates the same political territories upon which the men from the rioting communities would inscribe their markings on. It’s like an uncanny sort of relinquishment – a victory, where it becomes blatant that in order to defeat a nation, you must violate their women. Such atrocious violations against women hence create a sense of helplessness in communities where a woman’s honour is more important than her life. And in order to revive this honour, members of the community (usually male) have no choice but to kill off every single female who was either raped or physically/sexually violated in any way. For it is known that a woman’s dishonour is the dishonour of the ethnic race, the community, and the nation as a whole.

Consequently, the targeting of women’s bodies is both an effect and a cause of the acceptability of sexual violence against women. It serves to subjugate women further, and creates an environment where violence becomes habitual and is committed with impunity. And while there is no denying that the blame often falls upon the woman for failing to guard her body from being violated, even if it is against her own volition, an equal burden falls upon the shoulders of men who deeply value their women’s honour.

I personally believe that as long as such societies conventionalize the woman as a symbol of honour and continue to instrumentalize her in such an ignominious way, gender-based violence in these societies will persist, making any iota of progress seem bleak.

Even so, not all societies associate women with honour, despite the fact that rape and other forms of violence against women still occurs. There are societies, particularly within the South and Central Asian region, where a woman’s dignity equates her entire existence as well as the existence of those around her. And though it is clear that men, too, are targets and victims of violence, it is the gendered nature of violence that marks women’s experiences as wholly unique.

Putting an End to Violence Against Women

International Women’s Day is celebrated by the United Nations with a new theme every year. This year it’s called ‘A promise is a promise: Time for action to end violence against women’.

The focus this year is on prevention of violence and the provision of support services/responses to survivors of violence.

The United Nations General Assembly defines violence against women as “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.”

“It is estimated that up to seven in ten women globally will be beaten, raped, abused or mutilated in their lifetimes- and most of this violence takes place in intimate relationships.” -United Nations

Violence against women is a global epidemic which is deeply rooted in the cultural history of various societies throughout the world. An evidence of this can be seen in the various proverbs across the globe. Some examples of these proverbs are as follows:

Beat your wife regularly… If you don’t know why, she will. (Zambia)

The nails of a cart and the head of a woman: they work only when they are hit hard. (Rajasthan, India)

Affection begins at the end of a rod. (Korea)

A woman, a dog and a walnut tree — the harder you beat them, the better they be. (Europe)

These proverbs seem to reflect a kind of society where wife-beating is not only considered manly but also a part of life. A life where woman is inferior, should be treated as one’s property and must be kept under a check. There is no equality.

To think that such proverbs result in domestic violence would be irrational & idiotic although they do reflect a misogynistic society where inequality is a norm.

Women suffer through numerous forms of violence throughout their lives.

Examples of Violence against Women Throughout the Life Cycle  Phase                                         Type of violence

Pre-birth                                     Sex-selective abortion; effects of battering during pregnancy on birth outcomes.

Infancy                                      Female infanticide; physical, sexual and psychological abuse.

Girlhood                                    Child marriage; female genital mutilation; physical, sexual and psychological abuse; incest; child prostitution and pornography.

Adolescence and Adulthood         Dating and courtship violence (e.g. acid throwing and date rape) economically coerced sex (e.g. school girls having sex with “sugar daddies” in return for school fees); incest; sexual abuse in the workplace; rape sexual harassment; forced prostitution and pornography; trafficking in women; partner violence; marital rape; dowry abuse and murders; partner homicide; psychological abuse; abuse of women with disabilities; forced pregnancy.

Elderly                                      Forced “suicide” or homicide of widows for economic reasons; sexual, physical and psychological abuse.

(Source: “Violence Against Women”, WHO., FRH/WHD/97.8)

The true prevalence of violence against women is concealed as a result of the under-recording by the police, and under-reporting by the women involved. Under-recording occurs when violence against women – particularly in the home – is viewed as a ‘normal’ part of gender relations. Ignorance & prejudice among police and other state officials means that women survivors of violence risk being blamed for the violence inflicted against them. Women who have been trafficked may experience arrest, harassment, or expulsion if they report their experiences to the police, especially where prostitution is illegal. Where arrests are made, it is often women and not the traffickers who are detained. Many women opt to remain silent about violence. This under-reporting may be the result of fear of the attacker, of the social taboos surrounding violence against women, or of a lack of support to women survivors of violence. — Ending Violence Against Women: A Challenge for Development and Humanitarian Work

Basically the reasons behind under-reporting on the part of women are:

• The attacker is known to the victim
• Cultural stigma attached to violence such as domestic violence occurs due to failure on victim’s part to fulfil her roles.
• Women don’t want to shame the family name
• Failure of formal institutions to provide effective protection for women

Despite these obstacles to uncovering prevalence of the problem, quantitative & qualitative research that gives a more accurate picture of the problem does exist. One such research drawn by the United Nations back in 1998 is as follows:

Domestic Violence against Women

Industrialized Countries Canada ● 29% of women (a nationally representative sample of 12,300 women) reported being physically assaulted by a current or former partner since the age of 16. Japan ● 59% of 796 women surveyed in 1993 reported being physically abused by their partner. New Zealand ● 20% of 314 women surveyed reported being hit or physically abused by a male partner. Switzerland ● 20% of 1,500 women reported being physically assaulted according to a 1997 survey. United Kingdom ● 25% of women (a random sample of women from one district) had been punched or slapped by a partner or ex-partner in their lifetime. United States ● 28% of women (a nationally representative sample of women) reported at least one episode of physical violence from their partner.

Asia and the Pacific Cambodia ● 16% of women (a nationally representative sample of women) reported being physically abused by a spouse; 8% report being injured. India ● Up to 45% of married men acknowledged physically abusing their wives, according to a 1996 survey of 6,902 men in the state of Uttar Pradesh. Korea ● 38% of wives reported being physically abused by their spouse, based on a survey of a random sample of women. Thailand ● 20% of husbands (a representative sample of 619 husbands) acknowledged physically abusing their wives at least once in their marriage.

Middle East Egypt ● 35% of women (a nationally representative sample of women) reported being beaten by their husband at some point in their marriage. Israel ● 32% of women reported at least one episode of physical abuse by their partner and 30% report sexual coercion by their husbands in the previous year, according to a 1997 survey of 1,826 Arab women.

Africa Kenya ● 42% of 612 women surveyed in one district reported having been beaten by a partner; of those 58% reported that they were beaten often or sometimes. Uganda ● 41% of women reported being beaten or physically harmed by a partner; 41% of men reported beating their partner (representative sample of women and their partners in two districts). Zimbabwe ● 32% of 966 women in one province reported physical abuse by a family or household member since the age of 16, according to a 1996 survey.

Latin America and the Caribbean Chile ● 26% of women (representative sample of women from Santiago) reported at least one episode of violence by a partner, 11% reported at least one episode of severe violence and 15% of women reported at least one episode of less severe violence. Colombia ● 19% of 6,097 women surveyed have been physically assaulted by their partner in their lifetime. Mexico ● 30% of 650 women surveyed in Guadalajara reported at least one episode of physical violence by a partner; 13% reported physical violence within the previous year, according to a 1997 report. Nicaragua ● 52% of women (representative sample of women in León) reported being physically abused by a partner at least once; 27% reported physical abuse in the previous year, according to a 1996 report.

Central and Eastern Europe/CIS/Baltic States Estonia ● 29% of women aged 18-24 fear domestic violence, and the share rises with age, affecting 52% of women 65 or older, according to a 1994 survey of 2,315 women. Poland ● 60% of divorced women surveyed in 1993 by the Centre for the Examination of Public Opinion reported having been hit at least once by their ex-husbands; an additional 25% reported repeated violence. Russia (St. Petersburg) ● 25% of girls (and 11% of boys) reported unwanted sexual contact, according to a survey of 174 boys and 172 girls in grade 10 (aged 14-17). Tajikistan ● 23% of 550 women aged 18-40 reported physical abuse, according to a survey. (Adapted from “Violence Against Women,” WHO, FRH/WHD/97.8, “Women in Transition,” Regional Monitoring Report, UNICEF 1999, and a study by Domestic Violence Research Centre, Japan.)

Violence against women is a form of gender based hate crime that is gnawing at the foundation of this society, it is not only a human rights or public health issue, but an economic and development issue, slowing economic growth and undermining efforts to reduce poverty.

Evidence suggests domestic violence witnessed as a child is repeated in adulthood.

Men who have seen violence in childhood are two to three times more likely than other men to become perpetrators of violence as adults.

Girls who have witnessed violence as children are more likely to grow up to become the victims of violence as adults. — Viewpoint: The price of violence against women and girls

We don’t need more proof, claims, evidence or statistics to recognize the danger of an unequal society. It is time now to take a stand, fight for what’s right and hail an era of gender equality all over the world. This Women’s Day, let’s pledge to bring women to the forefront of economic progress and put an end to gender discrimination.

Citation: For more proverbs on violence against women check out http://www.intrahealth.org/page/the-power-of-proverbs-

India Needs to Talk about Sex

Guest post by Monica Sarkar, freelance journalist:

‘Eve teasing’. It’s such a cute, endearing term, isn’t it? Almost sounds like a child’s game, like ‘Hyde and Seek’ or ‘Kiss Chase’.

Well, it’s not. It’s a sugar-coated expression commonly used in India for the sexual harassment of women; invading their personal space as they walk down the street; and heckling, amongst other less pleasing but truthful terms.

Since the horrific Delhi gang-rape and murder of a 23-year old woman, many Indian women have come forward with their stories of the perils of being a woman in India. As a British-born Indian woman who has visited India many times, I can also share the same tales.

Men aggressively – or subtly – brushing past me or following me, even though I was in the company of elders. I was once getting off the metro in Kolkata in broad daylight and a crowd of men who were stood either side of the train doors suddenly moved in front so I would be forced to barge past them as I disembarked the train.

During New Year’s Eve in Goa a few years ago, similar occurrences happened whilst I was in the company of male and female friends in a crowded area of the North. It got so bad that I threateningly raised a water bottle to hit anyone who dared to come close, under the blind eyes of patrolling police officers. That’s the worst thing – not really knowing who you can turn to.

Even during the recent mass protests following the gang-rape attack, the BBC reported that men still tried to grope women in the crowd.

Can we talk?

But where does this frustration come from, to the point where a man will get his kicks from brushing past a strange woman? And why can it transform itself into a monstrous desire to abuse, or even kill?

Walk of life doesn’t matter either, as three politicians – governors of the country – resigned after being caught watching porn on their mobile phones in parliament. One was even a women’s affair minister.

Most importantly, if these men, or people close to them, feel they have a problem, where can they go and who can they talk to in order to solve it? There lies a real problem: Indians don’t talk enough about sex. Having spent extensive amounts of time in Indian society, talking about it is seen as embarrassing, or even dirty.

Even topics such as homosexuality or a physical or mental disability can be seen as shameful and hampering the chances of marriage.

The gang-rape victim’s friend recently revealed the hesitancy of passers-by and even the police to help them as they were left badly injured at the side of the road by the attackers. When asked why Indians do not discuss such issues, he reportedly told Zee News:

“In our society, we try to hide such things. If something bad has happened with us, then we try to hide thinking what will the other person say. Also because our friends and relatives talk behind our back about such incidents, that we try to prevent them from becoming public.”

Shame is on the woman

In fact, sexual assault or rape is commonly seen as humiliating for the victim. Attacks are so common that many Indian media outlets reuse the same images to illustrate stories of such attacks, usually depicted as a “shamed woman”.

In addition to these perceptions, there is a complete lack of trust in India’s justice and policing system to give people the confidence to come forward. In fact, Indians often joke about the carelessness of their police officers. But now is the time to stop laughing and start talking about the issues which are suppressed and subsequently not dealt with.

Official figures show that 228,650 of the total 256,329 violent crimes recorded last year in India were against women. It is thought that the real figure is much higher because of the many cases that are left unreported to the police.

India is a country of contrasts indeed. On the one hand, you have the peaceful haven of temples and ashrams and vibrant celebrations. On the other, you have a deeply rooted, dark culture of female oppression that lurks beneath a colourful surface.

However, with the mass outcry and demands for change, India has reacted brilliantly. Let’s not forget other countries in the shadow of this tragedy that have the same problems; I’ve been heckled and received sexual advancements in places like Egypt, Morocco, Turkey and even here in London too.

In India, the message is loud and clear – Indians have had enough. But along with protesting to governors of this country, Indians need to communicate more openly and freely with one another as well, in order to break taboos and cultivate understanding.

Firstly, though, let’s stop using a pretty name like ‘eve-teasing’, shall we? It’s called sexual harassment, or gender violence at its extreme. Let’s be very clear about that.

Umerkot File: A Case of Political Agencies Protecting Rapists

Guest post by Ayesha Sultana, an advocate working on the case of rape of Hindu minors in Umerkot.

I, as an advocate have always had an extremely tedious time in writing about sexual violence perpetuated upon children.

These particular cases are alarming as this is indicative of a systemic violence in terms of addressing reported cases of sexual assault of minors in religious minority communities of Pakistan. I assume this is a systemic problem as 2 cases of minor from same district has come forward, so I am not sure if there are more incident which havent been reported at all.

I guess this is becoming a trend for Pakistan Peoples Party [PPP] where they have turned out to be one of the biggest violators of women rights and human rights. They do claim to be “liberal” and “progressive” in their values but their actions are far worst than imaginable.

After the case of Rinkle Kumari and Mian Mithoo [MP] who is fiercely protected by PPP, the person who is responsible for abduction, rape and forcible conversion of Rinkle. Sharjeel Memon [MP] also got away with the same incident in 2010 in Nagarparker. When that survivor and her family had gone on hunger strike outside the Hyderabad press club, Sharmila Farooqui [MP] was sent to them to pressure them to drop the case. Now we have new cases of Hindu minor girls who were sexually assaulted in Sindh by a local political worker.

The reason we were getting conflicting reports is because there are two rape incidents of minors from Umerkot. One of V who is 6yrs old, other one is who is 14 yrs old.

[1] Both the cases of assault are politically connected to the leading govt in the same district.

[2] The reason I have decided not to use the name of 14yr old survivor as her family is facing an extremely tough time due to her rapists’ political connection.

Vi is 6-year-old daughter of labourer Munwar Meghwar, residing in Ghulam Nabi Shah a small town of district Umerkot. She was sexually assaulted on evening of 4th December 2012, she was playing in the street in front of her house from where she was abducted. She was admitted at civil hospital Mirpurkhas with number of complications and is under treatment till 11 December. After being unsatisfied with doctors’ performance they were sent to Karachi after further protests.

Her initial forensic reports were rejected by the incharge officer and they have sent her blood spotted shalwar [trouser] to Lahore Forensic Laboratory on December 24th. We were informed by survivor’s uncle that alleged perpetrator and his henchmen are political workers of Pakistan Muslim League (Functional) and its spiritual head – Pir Saheb Pagaro. Pir is the most powerful person of the province and has armed groups. Muhammad Mangrio also derives his political clout form his brother-in-law, the former town Nazim (Chairman) of the Borough and has very close links with the Pakistan Military

The second case of sexual assault of minor was reported on December 23rd. After verification from official sources, its FIR no 61/12 u/s 354 ppc on the complaint of “Bheel” against 3 accused. “Bheel” are scheduled caste Hindus and unfortunately in rural Sindh, sexual assault of minor girls in their community is common due to their minority status.The application of innocuous sec 354 Pakistan Penal Code (PPC) clearly shows malafide as its bailable and it would further aggravate things for the victim.

The accused names are Aziz, Majeed & Maroof. The case is high-profile as mentioned earlier as one of the accused involved is the local leader of PPP while the other accused belongs to powerful and influential “Rind” clan in Sindh.

The survivor’s father and other community members went to Chachro taluka hospital for a medical checkup, but the doctors refused to carry it out without a FIR. When the father asked the police to file a FIR, they also refused. “We are very poor,” the father said. “It is an injustice against our daughter. We need justice but no one is willing to cooperate.”

After raping the Hindu minor & not getting any forensics done, there was an attempt to kidnap her too. The survivor is a Bheel — not just Hindu, but a scheduled caste Hindu. The rape of children from scheduled castes is very common in Sindh.

[Note: December 27th: No medico-legal exam aka rape kit has been performed on the 14yr old rape survivor from Umerkot]

Sindh Police is not helping rape survivor in Umerkot case as SSP of the district is brother of Ayaz Soomro, who is a member of PPP, aka law minister.

The two prominent journalists of the area, Arbab Bheel of Dharti TV and Mushtaq Qamber of Daily Sindh Express, have been threatened by the alleged perpetrator, Muhammad Mangrio, over the telephone and later in person by his henchmen that if they come to his place for further reporting they would be killed.

Child sexual abuse is one of the horrendous crimes which can be inflicted upon anyone. Minority Hindus in rural Sindh have been targeted with abduction, sexual violence and forced religious conversions, it’s about time, the civil society of Pakistan stood up against this madness against the ruling party of Pakistan for systemically protecting rapists.

We are appealing to local population to provide security to both families so that they can protected from further political persecution or police harassment in Umerkot in Sindh. We want Pakistani people to call their MPs and register their complaint with them. We want everyone outside of Pakistan to call respective Pakistani embassies and high commissions all over the world and ensure that justice is provided to both survivors of child sexual abuse.

These are not just simple cases of violence as they are indicative of systemic violence perpetuated by the leading political party and its misuse of power. They have been misusing their powers in rural areas of Sindh and perpetuating violence on Sindhi Hindus for quiet sometime now. It’s about time they were held accountable and brought to justice for protecting rapists and establishing culture of rape apologia.

Lets challenge systemic violence everywhere!

Reported Sources:

http://www.causes.com/actions/1714231?recruiter_id=60551107&utm_campaign=invite&utm_medium=wall&utm_source=fb

http://tribune.com.pk/story/483208/political-worker-accused-of-raping-hindu-girl/

 

If anyone needs any information; they can speak with me I have been in touch with the family.

1. The 2nd survivor name as confirmed by SSP, her name is not released to all sources of media, so I am not releasing her name here.

2. My source of information are SSP with Sindh Police, uncle of V Meghawar, Express Tribune, local grassroots NGO SEWA

Zahra Baker – A Call to Action for All of Us

Guest post by Zena Costa, independent sports mgmt professor and writer.

I have been following the story of this little girl in the news since 2010 and as a result did a couple of reports & features to help. Checking with friends in the US I learnt today that it’s been two years and “investigation” is still ongoing. I decided to share because I do not want Zahra Baker to have lost her life without something positive coming out of it.

It is a senseless, horrific, heartbreaking tragedy. This child got the worst hand dealt to her by life, and I can’t make sense of it all, no matter how hard I try. All I can do now is trying to prevent it from happening to even one child in my community. And none of us should rest until we all do the same.

Do not assume that a male child is safe. In india, 33,000 female and 20,000 boys are abused every minute. Yes, every one minute. And what about the unreported millions?

We all feel helpless when we hear of these stories. And in some cases—either because of our geographic location or circumstances we are. But, if more people in every community started to take action, to get involved in organizations that prevent and aid in child abuse cases, it would make a difference, to the world your own child steps out to.

I did as a former journo report on cases in Goa via CHILDLINE 1098 and the impact it made on my life was significant. I know that my involvement was crucial in at least four cases that involved a child being removed from a dangerous home situation and I hold that memory dear to my heart. The real impact that experience had on me though was the stacks and stacks of folders of abuse in 2003. I was shocked to learn of the sheer number of cases, and over half of them as serious and horrific as the Zahra Baker case.

So many don’t make it into the media, which is why we all, understandably so think these are isolated cases. Abuse seems to happen “somewhere else” in another neighborhood.

But in fact, it happens every day, in every socio-economic situation. In the worst neighborhoods, and in the best. From people you would expect, and people you would never have dreamt could cause harm to a child.

So, here’s my call to action for everyone reading this, everyone I know, Zahra is gone, but the least you can do is protect your own child. Be vigilant, even at your own house, you’d be astounded to realize how many vultures are out there to gnaw at the life of your precious child. That’s the brutal truth. DO SOMETHING. Writing a cheque to an organization, however helpful, is not enough. We need to do much more.

SIMPLE WAYS TO AWARENESS AND ACTION:

First and foremost, pay attention to the children around you – children in your child’s school, children in your church, your co-worker’s children etc.

We should not be a paranoid society, accusing innocent people of wrong doing. But children give out signals. And most of us know, we get that gut feeling when something is wrong.

If you get these signals, get involved, find out what’s going on and if need be report it. Yes, it is drastic. Yes, it is a HUGE decision not to be taken lightly or for any other reason than the safety and well-being of a child. Remember you could be changing a life, saving a life.

Severe abuse is not always physical. There aren’t always bruises and broken bones. The worst abuse is sometimes emotional and is easy for the abuser (and the victim) to hide. Again, listen to your gut. Does the child seem sad, depressed, timid, or excessively anxious or worried? Do things just seem ‘not right’?

More often than not, your gut is telling you something is wrong because of a series of factors. You know one or both parents and are questioning their actions or lifestyle and more importantly, the children seem to be struggling.

Cases of abuse are not always an obviously evil abusive parent or family member. Unfortunately, the parents or family members are often sick themselves—either fighting addiction or mental illness and in some of these cases they truly can’t see the harm they are doing. But no matter who has what trouble, no matter how tough it all is—children need to be put first. Their safety and well-being is all that matters.

The emotional scars from all kinds of abuse take years , sometimes lifetimes to heal.

Another action we can all take is to get involved with organizations that do good work, hands-on work in the fight against child abuse and neglect.

As parents, we inspire and encourage certain kinds of behavior in our kids; they idolize us, look up to us and turn to us on a dark night for a hug. We are not here to say ”all will be okay ,” I don’t say that anymore , that’s mythic. All can not be okay till you take an action against all that is wrong in your as well as your kid’s life.

What adults-mothers, fathers, relatives, friends do to these kids in abusive households makes me both furious and helpless. It often makes me cry at night.

It is too late for Zahra. But it is not too late for countless other children out there who are enduring the very same abuse and neglect in their homes. Unfortunately, I can almost guarantee you that within your county, your state, your city, even your locality there are several children just like Zahra that need you. NOW. Please do something. Save the Children. They’re the future. Don’t let their present mar the rest of their life.