Making the International Day to End Violence against Women… all about men?

Today, the 25th of November, is the International Day for the Elimination of Violence against Women. Activists have commemorated the day since 1981 and have used it to raise awareness of the extent and nature of violence against women around the world. The day was officially recognized by the UN in 1999 and it also marks the start of the annual 16 Days of Activism against Gender-Based Violence campaign which ends on Dec 10th (International Human Rights Day). The theme this year is “From Peace in the Home to Peace in the World: Let’s Challenge Militarism and End Violence Against Women!” The 25th of November was chosen because it was on this day in 1960 that three of the four Mirabal sisters, political activists in the Dominican Republic, were assassinated on orders of Dominican ruler Rafael Trujillo. This day is specifically focused on highlighting the reality of violence against women and advocating to eliminate this violence rather than focusing on gender-based violence. Its clear from recent news stories that violence against women remains a common phenomenon in schools, workplaces, and homes. Violence against women and girls happens in relatively peaceful settings, as well as during natural disasters and in conflict. According to World Health Organization “35% of women worldwide have experienced either intimate partner violence or non-partner sexual violence in their lifetime.” The problem is often hidden and unaddressed. Responses to support survivors of violence are insufficient but must be implemented along with prevention as the key to ending violence against women. In this fight to eliminate violence against women, both women and men must be involved. The importance of men and boys as allies in the fight against violence against women is noted in the recently published  Lancet Series on Violence against Women and Girls and at the recent Men Engage Global Symposium. There are both national and international efforts to increase the positive engagement of men and boys in the efforts to end violence against women and girls. HOWEVER, being an ally doesn’t mean shifting the focus away from the problem and instead focusing on men’s role in working to end it.

White Ribbon walk in Sydney, Australia 2014

In Australia, the 25th of November is now known as “White Ribbon Day” after a male-led campaign focused on men ending violence against women. By changing the name of the day, the campaign has made the day about men and not about women. In particular it has effectively shifted the focus away from women who experience violence and from violence that is often hidden and unacknowledged. By doing so the campaign renders violence and the women it is perpetuated against invisible. On the one day of the year which is set aside to commemorate and honor women and girls who experience violence – those who survive and those who have not, we must keep the focus on women and girls as a reminder of what we are working towards. We can not end violence against women otherwise.

New Report: The Continuity of Risk: A three-city study of Congolese women-at-risk resettled in the U.S

The summary below was contributed by Karin Wachter, one of the report’s co-authors

In October 2014, the University of Texas at Austin and North Carolina Agricultural and Technical State University issued their report: The Continuity of Risk: A three-city study of Congolese women-at-risk resettled in the U.S. The study was conducted to prepare for the 50,000 Congolese refugees planned to be resettled in the United States over the next several years through the U.S. Refugee Admissions Program.

The Continuity of Risk concludes that Congolese refugee women have a sense of safety and food security in the U.S., and struggle with integration. The primary concerns expressed by the research participants include the impacts of trauma, social isolation, loss of power as mothers and precarious financial survival. The UNHCR “woman-at-risk” resettlement category is also discussed from both practice and policy perspectives.

The findings highlight women’s intersecting experiences with violence and forced migration.  The recommendations section of the report, in particular, emphasizes the potential for collaboration between resettlement and domestic violence and sexual assault agencies to help meet those expressed needs.  This study can help to inform those collaborative efforts already underway and spark ideas for new initiatives and partnerships.

The report can be downloaded from the Institute on Domestic Violence & Sexual Assault (IDVSA) website at:  http://www.utexas.edu/ssw/cswr/institutes/idvsa/congolese-refugee-women-at-risk/