Comment & analysis
International Day against violence against women
Elizabeth Mataka
2007-11-29, Issue 330
http://pambazuka.org/en/category/comment/44715
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Elizabeth Mataka says the needs and the rights of women need to move from the empty discussions in the margins and given the necessary resources, attention and action the urgency requires
In the days leading up to the International Day Against Violence Against Women I have been reflecting on exactly what ‘violence’ in the violence against women means. The more I thought about the subject, the more I realized that violence now has many shapes and colours, it has transcended the violence of physical, sexual and psychological assault, touched down on political and economic harm and now moved into the space of complicity by silence.
We need not look further than the recent epidemiological data released this week by UNAIDS, it illustrates that approximately 60% of HIV infected adults in sub-Saharan Africa are women. This information, I am aware, is not new – women in our region have for many years been what has been coined ‘the face of the epidemic’ - but what this new data has done is brought home the realization that nothing, nothing has changed for women.
The HIV estimates in Africa have shown a leveling off and in some instances, a decline and this is hopeful news. But the situation of women has not changed.
And so I ask, when it comes to women, why are we so slow to act?
With statistics such as these, we are facing a critical emergency, we are rapidly moving towards an Africa without women. Allowing this to happen is violence against women. You may not conduct a physical assault, but being silent is being complicit and non-action is now a violent act.
I have made a personal stand not to be complicit or be a silent aid to any form of violence against women. Strengthening the rights of women and girls is a priority area for me during my tenure as the UN Special Envoy on AIDS in Africa. I have decided to move beyond the lip service of discussions on the empowerment of women and work closely with governments and legal groups, lobbying them, to make sure that legislation and policy is reformed to actually support the empowerment of women.
However, as we know, we can change policy and legislation, but nothing will change unless we change our cultural practices and our personal attitudes that support this violence against women.
For example, am I wrong to say that in some of our cultures here in Africa, a well brought up daughter is one who is submissive and obedient? Doesn’t this well mannered daughter reflect well on her family? But doesn’t this very same education in submissiveness and obedience create a dependency, which in turn disempowers our daughters?
Another example, am I wrong in saying that some of our cultures here in Africa condemn divorce; and our societies are quick to denounce marriage separation, even a marriage with high risk and abuse? Evidence shows that a massive number of new infections in women here occur in the context of marriage or long term relationships. With this kind of information, it is a violent act to hide behind ‘culture’ to justify leading our women to an early grave.
This is why in my tenure as the UN Special Envoy on AIDS, I will talk publicly and honestly about the cultural practices that are harmful to women. We need to break the silence on this. We need to ask ourselves about the kind of legacy we will leave for our daughters and granddaughters, unless we stand-up to some of these harmful practices, all they will inherit is a certain death before they have actually lived.
Again I ask, when it comes to women, why are we so slow to act?
It is still astounding that over 25 years into the HIV epidemic, and in the context of sexual relations, for the most part a woman is still made dependent on her male sexual partner to protect herself. The statistics show that time has run out, women need products, now, that they can control – without negotiation and with discretion - to protect themselves against HIV. More political commitment and resources need to go to the research agenda around women controlled HIV prevention products, like microbicides.
The needs and the rights of women need to move from the empty discussions in the margins and given the necessary resources, attention and action the urgency requires. However, absolutely nothing will change for women unless men and boys are involved and educated towards an understanding of equality – this will help them understand, better, the advantages of true gender equality.
Today, the International Day Against Violence Against Women and the first day of the 16 days of activism against gender violence, I ask that non-action is included as a definition of violence. It is our collective responsibility to take a stand against violence against women, if we remain silent, we become complicit, we become an obstacle.
I conclude by asking again, when it comes to women, why are we so slow to act?
* Elizabeth Mataka is the UN Special Envoy for AIDS in Africa
* Please send comments to editor@pambazuka.org or comment online at www.pambazuka.org
Readers' Comments
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Reading Elizabeths, comments on the eve of International Day Against Violence Against women, i could help to chucle and agree with those comments!Having worked as an activist against gender based violence for almost twenty years with the YWCA,in Zambia, i used to take note of the subtle ways in which some highly placed individuals in institutions that could help end or reduce gender based violence could look at you and make such comments like, "are you sure there was no consent in body language by your client? maybe she was wearing a short skirt or maybe she was not firm enough in saying no or maybe.....thats why she got raped"
At times, as we conducted the A16 days of activism, we could be called 'Tar mark women" by the then Minister of Finance Ms Edith Nawakwi! These comments of exuded of hostility, and sent a meesage that "Look, why dont you shut your mouth and just stay at home! women are not worth yor fight. These people and institutions, meant keep quiet and ddont do anything. at times they called us Marrige breakers because we were there to sencitise women not to tolarate a beaating from their husbands. So, Elizabeths call as she is now at the helm of a powerful institution has sure come at the rigt time, maybe a cry out from the Top will be heard such that others holding such high positions may hear the cry and support the campaign with the rigt clout in action and finance that itdeserves. IT MAKES ME FEEL COMFORTED THAT MAYBE, YES, MAYBE, THOSE WHO SIT DOWN AND DO NOTHING WILL ONE DAY WAKE UP AND FIND THAT THEY HAVE BEEN PARTY TO COMMITING A CRIME AGAINST WOMEN BY BEEING SILENT OR NON COMMITAL TO THE CAMPAING TO END VIOLENCE AGINST WOMEN IN WHATEVER FORM. Bravo to you Elizabeth and thanks for taking up the courage to speak out while you're there at the Top.Let those who hear, hear you and they stand off the couch.
Phosile
Phosile Sichinga/ Soldev. Malawi
Thank you very much for your incouraging us to talk freely Voilence Against Women, and I can say easily the Voilence Against Women doesn't need so much definition, is what we always do.
the roots that violence against women is standing came from the women, because we have taken all discrimination completly, we deel our selves exactly what the other Society do us , we have prioratized what the men prioratize, such as "education between boys and girls, decission making, participation and so on" we always use bad cultures which is harmfull in our selves, ex: we do FGM practive that is very bad action who cause as we know many dangerouse in our small girls, we do Forced Marriage in our smal girlswhen they are teanage who causes domestic violence, physical assults, divorce,family seperation,lack of care for smal children when the father has taken them and they miss their mother and so many violence that we can't summarize here.
if all the women stands one side and be ready to talk about this complicated situation and start for our selves I beleive that we can change atleate 1%
What I surprised when we were talking Programm like this issue was:
one day while I was in a workshop that we were discussing about how to reduce FGM Practice I met a lady she was presenting her group she told us that "1978 she participated International confrence that they were discussing about the risks of FGM, and the time that she was telling us this story was March 2006 when she finished her presentation I asked her if she has any doughter she said yes I have two doughters I have asked her onether question if she did her girls FGM Practice she said why not? there is a proverb who is saying {take the culture of every where that you live in}and while I live in Somalia how can I leave somali culture "
I mean this if the women who knows some thing do this and prioratize the culture for evry thing how about the one who doesn't know nothing, we are the ones who the others are expecting to do campaings and awerness about how to reduce the Violence Against Women and how to support and moblize the vulnarable women we have to stand how to realize what we are talking about we have to continuote how to spread our speech in a far distances,
we have to stand how we can tell and this situation whole Society such as men, youth group, religious leaders, traditional leaders, women groups, youg girls, and etc.
we are the ones who can decrease or increase their reputation, no where else that we can get.
so please wake up, next saturday is a WORLD AIDS DAY so we have to stand how we mobilize the women, how they can avoid the risk of HIV/AIDS, how it transtmitt, how they behave if they see a person who is effected HIV/AIDS, how they can get best counselling "if VCT is availabe" if there is no VCT we have to do councelling with survivor women who is vulnarable every thing we have to increase mobilization about RAPE AND FGM they are the key pionts who spreads on HIV/AIDS.
thank you vey much.
Khadra From WE ARE WOMEN ACTIVISTS NET WORK (WAWA)