Violence against Women A Challenge to Society and to the Church
Date
2000-02
Authors
Journal Title
Journal ISSN
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Publisher
Tangaza University College
Abstract
The violence against women is an internationally recognized problem. It is a
gender violence which is nurtured by cultural and traditional aspects and has
become a menace in our Kenya. It is a phenomenon with a wide range of
impkations on the society and the church. It therefore needs proper study and
action.
While cultural and traditional beliefs are considered to be the mothers of
the gender oppression and discrimination, yet some religious interpretations have
decisively played a reasonable part in perpetuating the violence against women.
Although men and women are created in the image of God with equal rights
and entitled to enjoy equal justice yet it is clearly evident that women have been
subjected to all types of oppression and exploitation from times immemorial.
This is not an elaborated study on the phenomenon but the research throws
light on the effects it has on society, church and the family. The study touches
several types of violence against women and discloses various causes and effects
of gender violence.
Most of the material comes from the life experience, information and
knowledge acquired by the researcher during a long period as a teacher in
Central, Nyanza, Coast and Eastern Provinces. Other research materials, articles
and books are similarly used in the study.
This study emphasizes the challenge of the church to address this
dehumanizing problem in a particular way. The church as the teacher needs to re examine her contribution to eradicate this menace and to embark on more
endeavours within the umbrella of her pastoral evangelization to educate and to
preach against the gender violence.
Violence against women remains all pervasive. It is not limited to a specific
class, geographical area or type of persons. Rather it cuts across social
differences and status lines rich, poor, urban and rural, professional and illiterate
young and old.
The Article I of the Declaration on the Elimination of Violence against
Women defines violence as any action of gender based violence that results in or
is likely to result In physical, sexual or psychological harm or suffering to women
including threats of such acts, coercion or arbitrary deprivation of liberty whether
occurring in public or private life/ .
While talking about violence against women we must bear in mind the many
forms of violence including domestic violence, battery by husbands or other male
partners, rape, murder, genital mutilation, gender based violence by police and
security forces, torture of detained women, violence against women during the
armed conflict, incest, sexual harassment in schools and in the working places,
forced pregnancy. forces marriages, forced abortion2
The gender discrimination gets its root from tradition, conservative cultural
attitudes and religious interpretation& It is heart breaking to note how traditional
and cultural assumptions about the gender roles within society are used to justifythe continued oppression and subordination of women. Indeed one cannot fail to
discover how some practices performed In the name of culture and religion have
played a decisive part in violating the rights of women. The gender violence has
created untold misery and suffering to woman from the time immemorial. This
violence manifests human injustice and encompasses every country and all types
and classes of people. The objective of gender violence is meant to maintain the
male domineering attitude at home and at public life. This brings about the
disruption of women lives and denial of their options. It undermines their
confidence and setf-esteem, it destroys their health physically and psychologically
and undermines their involvement in societal participation.
The violence against women is often caused and carried out by male
persons who have some relationship with those women who are victims. These
male oppressors include husbands, boyfriends, fathers, brothers and other close
relatives. The gender violence is a deep manifestation of male chauvinism to
dominate and to keep women in the state of subordination within the family circle
and society at large.
As a result of this day to day violence against women in the Kenyan soil
many women have died in the hands of men in the homes, working places, in the
colleges in lodgings and in many other situations. This crime and oppression is a
violation of human rights and a social malice that demands total condemnation and
it calls for attention of all citizens and the government. The gender violence is
notoriously directed towards women because of their delicate sex. Violence
against women is used to keep women in their place, to limit their opportunities to live, learn, and work, and to hamper their capabilities to organise and claim their
rights.
For that masculine and selfish oppression to materialize male as well as
female from the childhood are persuaded and influenced through cultural domain
to accept the gender violence as an integral part of the gender identity. This
oppression which is articulated through various institutions is a malicious
instrument which violates the women's personality and decency. In addition to that
the violence against the feminine population in Kenya has been a major hindrance
to women to participate fully in the fields related to economic, social and political
life_
Violence humiliates and intimidates women, fear of violence prevents many
women from taking initiatives and organising their lives as they would choose.3
The violence against women is a strong male weapon to ensure that they comply
with gender norms while religious beliefs have been used to legitimize the
women's subordination in every tradition.
Owing to gender violence women continue to suffer daily and live with
unceasing threat or experience physical and sexual molestation. Violence against
women remain widely unreported and therefore its incidence is not officially
recorded. Many women though abused by men decline to report the violence they
suffer because economically and socially they depend upon those men. In many
instances when violence is reported the legal officials regard it as a private matter and fail to respond as they would to public violence and other forms of criminal
assault. Some violence takes place in private spheres within families, homes and
out of sight. Such violence is unreported and disguised by the victims and society.
Hence because of a culture of silence that surrounds the cases of violence against
women hinders the true picture.
My paper will concentrate on three kinds of violence against women,
namely domestic, cultural and sexual violence. In Chapter One I will talk about
Domestic Violence. In Chapter two I will talk about Cultural Violence. In Chapter
three I will talk about Sexual Violence. In Chapter Four I will present Conclusion
and Personal Evaluation.
Description
Keywords
Domestic Violence, Effects of Domestic Violence, Female Genital Mutilation, Marital Rape, Cases of Rape, Consequences of Sexual Violence, Eradication of Female Genital Mutilation