THE NEEDS: DOMESTIC VIOLENCE

Need #3: Prevention of Domestic Violence against Women

The belief in male superiority in a vast number of cultures often leads to violence towards the weaker sex. “Between one quarter and one half of women have been abused by a partner. Only 44 countries specifically protect women against domestic violence (Meroff 51).” Women are often, hit, kicked, cut, burned with acid, raped or killed by their husbands, fathers and sometimes even a mother or in-law. They are beaten primarily because they do not do exactly as ordered by their husband or father. Sometimes, in primarily Muslim countries, a husband will attack his wife if she does not have dinner ready, or refuses to have sex (Meroff 53).

Zoya Najabi, from Kabul, Afghanistan, was married off to a sixteen year old boy when she was just twelve. Since that time, Zoya was consistently beaten for faulty housework by her husband and her in-laws. They would tie her to a bucket and dunk her into the well, leaving her half-drowned and freezing. The worst of it came when Zoya inadvertently kicked her mother-in-law during one of these punishments. Her husband flogged her with an electric cable until she was unconscious. Through all of this, Zoya remained staunchly tied to her misogynistic culture. She said in an interview, “I should not have been beaten because I was always obedient and did what my husband said. But if the wife is truly disobedient, then of course the husband has to beat her” (Kristof 68-69).

Oftentimes, cases and cultures like this leave a woman feeling helpless and hopeless, and the majority of cases of domestic violence go unreported to the police. In some cases, this is because spousal violence is not a criminal act by law, such as in Swaziland or Uganda (Meroff 52). The situation is even worse in some places, such as Pakistan. Shershah Syed, a doctor in Karachi, mentioned, “When I treat rape victims, I tell the girls not to go to the police... because if a girl goes to the police, the police will rape her (Kristof 84).”

In many countries, girls are also victim to ritual genital mutilation. This is a cultural practice which is regarding as typical when “coming of age” in Africa and much of the Middle East. The young girl is held down while a knife of piece of glass is used for the circumcision. In these cultures, a girl is considered unclean and will not be married off until she is operated on. The consequences of this often include: Infections, obstruction of menstrual flow, infertility, increased risk of HIV-AIDS, psychological trauma or kidney damage. Many women also report that on their wedding nights their husbands had to use a knife or piece of glass in order to cut a wider opening for sexual intercourse (Meroff 76-78).

Help On The Way:

Unfortunately, the issue of domestic violence is more difficult to fight with organization and programs. There are some that exist, such as the The National Coalition Against Domestic Violence and the National Domestic Violence Hotline, both organizations fighting domestic violence in the United States. Prevention of violence is a very personal matter and women need to be taught that they do not have to put up with abusive relationships. This is easier said than done, especially in developing countries where everything is working against a woman who wants to escape a violent home. That is why shelters exist in developing countries, and others are slowly appearing worldwide.

What Do You Think?

Works Cited:

Kristof, Nicholas and Sheryl Wudunn. Half the Sky. New York: Knopf, 2009.

Meroff, Deborah. True Grit: Women Taking on the World, for Christ's Sake. City: Authentic Media, 2004.

National Coalition Against Domestic Violence, www.ncadv.org

National Domestic Violence Hotline, www.ndvh.org