The unfinished feminist business

For quite some time, we were talking about violence against our women but we never understood that we could make a difference in helping change more minds, more laws.

It is in this context we can be happy that the Government itself is becoming seriously concerned about violence against women. It was reported recently that the Government has decided to bring in 'The Violence Against Women' Bill to ensure the safety of our women.

According to the Ministry spokesperson, the Bill will not clash with the traditional Sri Lankan culture, lifestyle and social values. It would not encourage to dissolve nuclear families and will support to save women who severely suffer.

This issue has become more visible in the media and has been addressed in the recent past by an increasing number of NGOs and other organizations.

However, despite the changes, violence against women remains to a large degree hidden and surrounded by taboos, underpinned by a strong tradition of shame and guilt in the case of disclosure, especially in small villages and towns.

It incorporates powerful stereotypes about women and men's traditional roles in family life. Women victims have imprinted in their minds all the stereotypes about men's dominant social roles, as well as a number of myths, such as children needing the father, even if he is abusive. The orthodox religions, too, perpetuate the conservative model of the family and traditional gender roles.

Their influence in this field cannot be overestimated. The religious teaching on indissolubility of marriage combined with powerful social myths, make a decision to leave an abusive relationship very difficult.

It is true that a reasonable number of women's NGOs provide abused women with various forms of assistance. Women's organizations and other domestic violence programs provide mostly legal and psychological assistance; they run hotlines and shelters. It should be noted, however, that only a small number of these NGOs are actually able to provide specialists' care to women and children who are victims of violence.

Women's NGOs cannot depend on Government support all the way; they should rather try to develop their own, alternative programs, independent of the current political atmosphere. They should also seriously focus on awareness raising and educating society, including the employees of administration of justice - about the problem of violence against women. The women themselves should also learn about their rights.

The legislators should provide clearly worded definitions and formulate specific executive regulations; it could help to narrow the gap between the letter of law and law in practice and build an effective barrier against the prejudices of those who are responsible for putting the law into effect.

It is also time for the Women NGOs to launch a campaign to change our law to introduce legislation (protective or restrictive order) which will enable the police to remove the perpetrators of domestic violence from their household.

As the first step, all Women's NGOs should get together and formulate and conduct a national informational campaign that address the issue of violence against women and promote a policy 'zero tolerance for violence against women.'

I believe three important points should be taken into consideration:

(1) take appropriate actions and measures to break down detrimental myths about domestic violence and other forms of violence against women and children; eliminate social models provoking violence, eradicate factors increasing the risk of labelling and marginalization of victims of violence;

(2) develop and undertake media campaigns and information programs that explain the nature, extent, causes and consequences of violence against women and disseminate information on assistance available to the victims of violence;

(3) raise awareness of the responsibility of the media for generating violence, also raise awareness of the important role of the media in informing and educating people about the causes and effects of violence against women and in stimulating public debate on the topic.

Ending physical and sexual violence requires long-term commitment and strategies involving all parts of society. The Government has now committed themselves to overcoming them by passing and enforcing laws that ensure women's legal rights and punish abusers. In addition, community-based strategies can focus on empowering women, reaching out to men, and changing the beliefs and attitudes that permit abusive behaviour.

Only when women finally gain their place as equal members of society will violence against women no longer be an invisible norm but, instead, a shocking aberration.