It’s International Human Rights Day today, which means it’s officially the final day of the 16 days of activism against gender violence campaign. But 16 days isn’t enough is it? Not when you consider that violence against women and girls continues to be perpetrated day after day after day, 365 days of the year. Sixteen days of awareness raising and speaking out isn’t enough, not when you consider that at any point, day or night, somewhere in this world, a woman or girl is being subjected to rape, or domestic violence, or FGM, forced marriage, forced pregnancy, forced abortion, or a so-called ‘honour-crime’. Sixteen days of blogging, tweeting, marching, chanting, shouting about this isn’t enough when at any moment you care to pick a…
Posts from the “domestic violence” Category
I was sent the link to this video a few weeks ago and, having watched it a few times now, I’m still undecided about it. I’m just not sure it works. Here’s the text of the email I received introducing the artist and the video: “I wanted to introduce you to the new video from Billboard-acclaimed singer/songwriter, Sarah Fimm, for the song “Everything Becomes Whole”. The video was inspired by real-life accounts of violence against women; whose end result is a visually haunting and emotional short film. The video depicts a relationship that quickly turns from loving to abusive, with the male character overpowering and physically harming the female character. Sarah’s hope is to shine light on the issue, and create a call-to-action that…
Categories: 16 days of blogging, campaigning, crime, domestic violence, fear, feminism, misogyny, music, rape, violence against women
From the Council of Europe website: “On 7 April 2011, the Committee of Ministers of the Council of Europe adopted of a landmark new Convention on preventing and combating violence against women and domestic violence (Convention CETS No. 210). This Convention is the first legally binding instrument in the world creating a comprehensive legal framework to prevent violence, to protect victims and to end with the impunity of perpetrators. It defines and criminalises various forms of violence against women (including forced marriage, female genital mutilation, stalking, physical and psychological violence and sexual violence). It also foresees the establishment of an international group of independent experts to monitor its implementation at national level. The Convention was opened for signature in Istanbul on 11 May 2011…
Categories: 16 days of blogging, a bit of politics, campaigning, ConDems, crime, domestic violence, feminism, FFS!, gender, misogyny, rape, stalking, the cuts, trafficking, violence against women, what?
The domestic violence charity Refuge has teamed up with cosmetics company Avon and launched a campaign they’re calling 1in4women. Here’s a link to the campaign site – 1in4women.com. The campaign name is pretty much self explanatory: 1 in 4 women will experience domestic violence at some point in her life. And let’s not forget the other chilling statistic: two women a week are killed by a current or former partner. Domestic violence has a higher rate of repeat victimisation than any other crime, and it has a devastating impact, on both victims and on their children. According to the statistics on the Refuge site for instance, in 90% of domestic violence incidents, children were in the same or the next room when the violence…
Categories: 16 days of blogging, blogging, campaigning, children, domestic violence, fear, feminism, misogyny, violence against women
I received this email a few weeks ago. I’m publishing it here with full permission of the author: “Hi, I read with interest your blog on Rape and Marriage (well some of it anyway!). I’d like to share part of my story with you if i may. I am a born again Christian woman who has been married for 16 years. I am due to separate from my husband at the end of the month. Throughout my marriage i have been coerced and guilted into having sex on a regular basis. As a result, i was never really ‘in the mood’. Unlike my husband, i didnt throw a sulk or resort to slaming Christian books down in front of him with titles like ‘More sex please we’re…
Categories: 16 days of blogging, blogging, campaigning, crime, domestic violence, feminism, rape, violence against women
