Dear all,

I am working on a program that deals with Violence against Women (www.cordaid.nl). I would like to know what your views, expereinces and expertise are on the topic of CULTURALviolence against women and young girls in the world. Cultural violence will be the theme of the paper i will write at the end of the year; its my contribution to the program's further development because i think it is an important one.

Acoording to theorists, not much is academically written about the topic of cultural violence against women. The world has not given it its due attention, often because of its sensetivity-the word 'culture' makes it even harder. In every part of the world, women’s roles and positions in society are prescribed. One of the key aspects of every culture is the way it defines gender roles. Almost without exception women are assigned to roles which are subservient to those of men. These roles are often enforced through violence.

Social and political institutions foster women’s subservience and violence against women. Certain cultural practices and traditions – particularly those related to ideas of purity and chastity -- are invoked to explain or excuse such violence. Virtually every culture in the world contains forms of violence against women that are nearly invisible because they are seen as “normal”.

Often, the behaviour of a woman is considered to reflect on her family and community. If a woman is seen to be defying her cultural role, she may be held to have brought shame and dishonour on her family and community. In such circumstances, violence or the threat of violence is used as a means of punishment and control. In the most extreme cases, this can result in permanent disfigurement and even death. So-called “honour” crimes are treated leniently in the legal codes of many countries.

Case study: "At least 270 women were murdered in “honour killings” - usually by their husbands or brothers - in 2002 in Punjab province alone. The figures were compiled by the non-governmental Human Rights Commission of Pakistan, based on police reports. Some were killed because they protested against forced marriages or asserted their right to choose their husband. Others were killed for actions such as a look misconstrued as a sign of an illicit relationship" (www.amnesty.nl)

Even in countries where laws criminalize violence against women, tolerance of violence may be found at all levels of society. Gender-based violence is made possible by the ideology of sexism which argues that women are worth less than men in the sense of having less power, status, privilege, and access to resources. Sexism is a system of beliefs and attitudes based on the alleged inferiority of women; an inferiority which translates into attitudes that hold that women cannot be believed, that women are inferior, and that women are inherently subordinate to men.

According to the top United Nations refugee official there is a “massive” culture of neglect and denial about violence against women, and refugee populations are in the front line of the scourge. The recent rapea ccusations of UN peacekeeping soldiers in Sudan is not being adequately handled in my opinion because that culture of neglect and denial exist everywhere- even at the UN level.

Sad. very Sad.