Violence Against Women in Armenia
“A new report from Amnesty International exposes rape, domestic violence and sexual harassment against women in Armenia:
Women told Amnesty International how they were beaten by their husbands or other family members; how they were raped and verbally abused; how they were controlled and prevented from meeting their parents and friends. Over a quarter of women in Armenia have been hit or beaten by a family member and about two thirds have experienced psychological abuse, yet the state fails to prevent, investigate and punish violence against women, says the report.
Amnesty International’s report No pride in silence: Countering violence in the family in Armenia, looks at individual case studies and examines the background to these pervasive abuses - that in Armenia, social attitudes among both men and women largely accept and even vindicate violence against women. Other hurdles include the stigmatisation of rape victims, reluctance by police to investigate domestic violence cases and a lack of shelters and support for abused women.
The Armenian authorities are failing to provide women with options to leave violent relationships by not putting into place a functional system of either initial protection against violence in the family or longer term support through employment and housing.
Amnesty is urging the Armenian authorities to combat violence against women in all its forms through the implementation of legislative, institutional and public educational strategies and more specifically to:
- Criminalise domestic violence through the adoption of a specific law;
- Implement a cross-agency approach including police, health workers, the judiciary, shelters and crisis centres and non-governmental organizations;
- Increase the public awareness of violence against women as a widespread criminal offence and human rights violation.
The report is part of a series of publications issued within Amnesty’s global “Stop Violence against Women” campaign, which was launched in March 2004. The campaign urges governments to comply with their obligation under international human rights law to counter discrimination against women and girls. Violence against women is a global phenomenon affecting in one form or another nearly one in three women and Amnesty has exposed violence against women in countries from the USA, France and Spain to Russia, Georgia, Belarus, Ukraine and Turkey.”
Filed under: Uncategorized, Atrocities, Misogyny, Gender-Based Violence, Human Rights
Before we even begin to challenge (male) violence against women and children we need to state the gender of perpetrators. If we do not know who is predominantly committing violence against women then we cannot possibly begin to challenge the ingrained beliefs of the male perpetrators who commit violence against women.
Yes we know it is men committing such acts but of course it must never be openly said because it will offend those men who do not commit violence against women. Taking care of men’s sensibilities will not challenge ingrained beliefs concerning male privileges. Societies have no compunction in blaming women for men’s violence committed against them and societies explicitly name women as being ‘responsible’ for supposedly causing men to commit violence against them.
So, it is male violence against women and children which is the central issue and the other issue is why so many males believe it is their right to inflict such violence on women and children.
Until we challenge ingrained dominant beliefs concerning how men are supposed to behave and act nothing will change. Focus on challenging men’s beliefs and then perhaps, just perhaps misogynistic beliefs just might be reduced.