Violence against women causes "global health epidemic"
brianlux
Posts: 42,055
This is just wrong, sickening and disgusting. How can this be? :x
http://news.yahoo.com/violence-against- ... 47841.html
Violence against women causes "global health epidemic", says WHO report
LONDON (Reuters) - More than a third of all women worldwide are victims of physical or sexual violence, posing a global health problem of epidemic proportions, a World Health Organization report said on Thursday.
The vast majority of women are attacked or abused by their husbands or boyfriends, and common health problems they suffer include broken bones, bruises, pregnancy complications, depression and other mental illnesses, the report said.
"This is an everyday reality for many, many women," Charlotte Watts, a health policy expert at the London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine and one of the report's authors, told Reuters in an interview.
She said she was shocked by pictures this week showing celebrity chef Nigella Lawson being grabbed by the throat by her art collector husband Charles Saatchi. He has since been cautioned by police for assaulting her.
"We don't know the details of what is going there, but it does illustrate this happens to all women - it's not just poor women, or women in a certain country. This really is a global issue," Watts said.
(See link for complete article.)
http://news.yahoo.com/violence-against- ... 47841.html
Violence against women causes "global health epidemic", says WHO report
LONDON (Reuters) - More than a third of all women worldwide are victims of physical or sexual violence, posing a global health problem of epidemic proportions, a World Health Organization report said on Thursday.
The vast majority of women are attacked or abused by their husbands or boyfriends, and common health problems they suffer include broken bones, bruises, pregnancy complications, depression and other mental illnesses, the report said.
"This is an everyday reality for many, many women," Charlotte Watts, a health policy expert at the London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine and one of the report's authors, told Reuters in an interview.
She said she was shocked by pictures this week showing celebrity chef Nigella Lawson being grabbed by the throat by her art collector husband Charles Saatchi. He has since been cautioned by police for assaulting her.
"We don't know the details of what is going there, but it does illustrate this happens to all women - it's not just poor women, or women in a certain country. This really is a global issue," Watts said.
(See link for complete article.)
“The fear of death follows from the fear of life. A man [or woman] who lives fully is prepared to die at any time.”
Variously credited to Mark Twain or Edward Abbey.
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i was just reading this on msn
it is fucking disgusting
1 in 3 women globally has been abused by partners, study finds
Around the globe, 30 percent of all women aged 15 and older have suffered intimate partner violence - including physical and sexual attacks, according to the first systematic study of available data on assaults against women, released Thursday.
The rates of abuse vary widely by world regions: in Sub-Saharan Central Africa, for example, two-thirds of women have been victimized, marking the highest portion on any section of the planet; in North America, violence from an intimate partner, such as a husband or boyfriend, has impacted slightly more one in five women, report the authors. For the paper, published online by the journal Science, the authors synthesized 141 previous studies from 81 countries.
"what a long, strange trip it's been"
I'm not downplaying the plight of women here: I feel awful for the way my gender treats the fairer sex.
Men are like dangerous breeds of dogs. If they are not raised properly... they might attack. I'm tired of members of my gender behaving poorly. I truly believe the world would be a better place if women ruled it.
Wishful thinking, I suppose.
The Nigella thing, I just don't know. The photo I saw made me uncomfortable despite her minimizing it (this from someone who's had and still has a major girl-crush on Ms. Lawson). Good thing her husband was "cautioned".
So what took the UN so long to declare this? I thought it was obvious - I considered it a global human rights crisis as soon as I was old enough to be aware of what really goes on with women around the world.
I very much disapprove of the terminology. "Epidemic"?? It's an epidemic the same way war crimes are an epidemic.... so not at all. The word to me suggests that it's happening under its own volition; seems to negate responsibility. This needs to become an issue that all men around the world are seriously confronted with.
The difference with intimate partner violence and family violence is that many in the community (including some professional groups who should know better) view violence in this context as 'a private matter' not as unlawful activity. The psychological toll particularly of intimate partner violence and family violence is exhaustive. The UN (particularly UNWomen) have done extensive work in this area, and I would assume that their reason for referring to it as an 'epidemic' is to encourage governments to allocate more health dollars to this issue.
10 THINGS MEN CAN DO TO PREVENT GENDER VIOLENCE
Approach gender violence as a MEN'S issue involving men of all ages and socioeconomic, racial and ethnic backgrounds. View men not only as perpetrators or possible offenders, but as empowered bystanders who can confront abusive peers
If a brother, friend, classmate, or teammate is abusing his female partner -- or is disrespectful or abusive to girls and women in general -- don't look the other way. If you feel comfortable doing so, try to talk to him about it. Urge him to seek help. Or if you don't know what to do, consult a friend, a parent, a professor, or a counselor. DON'T REMAIN SILENT.
Have the courage to look inward. Question your own attitudes. Don't be defensive when something you do or say ends up hurting someone else. Try hard to understand how your own attitudes and actions might inadvertently perpetuate sexism and violence, and work toward changing them.
If you suspect that a woman close to you is being abused or has been sexually assaulted, gently ask if you can help.
If you are emotionally, psychologically, physically, or sexually abusive to women, or have been in the past, seek professional help NOW.
Be an ally to women who are working to end all forms of gender violence. Support the work of campus-based women's centers. Attend "Take Back the Night" rallies and other public events. Raise money for community-based rape crisis centers and battered women's shelters. If you belong to a team or fraternity, or another student group, organize a fundraiser.
Recognize and speak out against homophobia and gay-bashing. Discrimination and violence against lesbians and gays are wrong in and of themselves. This abuse also has direct links to sexism (eg. the sexual orientation of men who speak out against sexism is often questioned, a conscious or unconscious strategy intended to silence them. This is a key reason few men do so).
Attend programs, take courses, watch films, and read articles and books about multicultural masculinities, gender inequality, and the root causes of gender violence. Educate yourself and others about how larger social forces affect the conflicts between individual men and women.
Don't fund sexism. Refuse to purchase any magazine, rent any video, subscribe to any Web site, or buy any music that portrays girls or women in a sexually degrading or abusive manner. Protest sexism in the media.
Mentor and teach young boys about how to be men in ways that don't involve degrading or abusing girls and women. Volunteer to work with gender violence prevention programs, including anti-sexist men's programs. Lead by example
Copyright 1999, Jackson Katz. http://www.jacksonkatz.com
Reprint freely with credit.
so whether the violence is against women, or against men.. the problem is that those who perpetrate the violence are MEN. but I can tell you I don't feel awful about the violence against women... I feel angry. actually don't feel angry.. I am angry. its not just the blatant physical violence or even the psychological violence... its the casual violence in the form of jocularity... the words that are dismissed as only joking.. as boys being boys(like that's any excuse) the words that are clearly sexist and demeaning to those thyier aimed at yet dismissed by those who speak them.. we, as women, are told to lighten up.. that we're too serious.. that we cant take a joke. yet the words are meant to deflate women, to mock them. why? I cant say.. but what I can say is that I am tired of the bullshit. im tired of being told im uptight, that I cant take a joke... cause I know that I can and to dismiss the uncomfortability I(and many women) feel at words spoken as me being uptight is just dismissive. im not some raging feminist but I am a woman... and I love men.. but what I don't love is men who dismiss women as unhumourless mooks when we know for a fact that if the same words were directed at their mother/sister/daughter/wife/aunt/grandmother/niece, they wouldnt be laughing quite as much.. in fact I doubt theyd be laughing at all.
take a good look
this could be the day
hold my hand
lie beside me
i just need to say
I'm not sure if you have taken offence to what I have written or if you are venting here. If taking offence... please read again. If venting... that is fine- I can be a sounding board for you.
Not all men are idiots 100% of the time. A significant portion of us are, without a doubt, cavemen; but there are many who do make an effort. Sometimes, especially in packs, even the most advanced men can regress. I'm not making excuses or providing alibis. And I am certainly not placing myself above any of my gender- I have my moments of idiocy as well. I guess I'm just saying we have an inherent nature that can be difficult to overcome at times- especially when you factor in societal conditions that insist our young men be strong and resilient. We are hardened at an early age: some irreversibly to the level that becomes problematic.
Upbringing is everything.
no I wasn't taking offense at what you said. and yes I was venting.
and yes I agree not all men are idiots 100% of the time... and im not saying they are. there are men that aren't idiots any percent of the time.
take a good look
this could be the day
hold my hand
lie beside me
i just need to say
I would only add this: to stop being silent, it's easiest to start by telling another something positive about what they are doing; hey, I like how you dealt with your squirmy kids in the store today, hey, when I saw you pick up that guys litter the other day, I decided to make that my own effort from now on -- thanks. Once we get more comfortable speaking up about what we like, it makes it easier to speak up about what we don't like.
This abuse door swings both ways.
i acknowledge that however it is not what this thread is about. and tbh it pisses me off that the issue of violence against women is tewmpered by the issue of violence against men as if somehow that legitimises or makes light of what i see as the bigger issue... as if.. oh yeah but men are abused too is an excuse for abuse against females. its not
take a good look
this could be the day
hold my hand
lie beside me
i just need to say
The issue of domestic violence against men is an important issue, but it is a separate one (and, while it does warrant more attention than it has now, is also not a worldwide human rights crisis).
If it is indeed truly viewed as an epidemic by the GLOBAL community, then a hard line must be taken at each country level for anything to be accomplished. I'm not sure if there is a current think tank for this issue as it stands today, but I think it's worth looking into. It will take a great number of men willing to stand up to other men, and be champions of women. Encouraging survivors to speak with men and women and provide opportunities for contribution to solutions.
Certainly assessing one's own life is critical and key. Paramount.
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How I choose to feel is how I am.
There's just one word I still believe...and it's LOVE.
"Take care of one another..." -EV
“Domestic violence is the No. 1 cause of injury to women. The incidents add up to more than all the rapes, muggings, and car accidents women experience each year. One out of every four women in the United States will be physically injured by a lover in her lifetime. That translates into a woman being assaulted every nine seconds in America. Immigrant women are beaten at higher rates than US citizens, and African American women are subjected to the most severe forms of violence. Not surprisingly, a shaky economy just makes these numbers worse.”
If you witness violence
Don't endanger your own safety. Call 000 (or 911 in the US) in an emergency.
If you witness a violent act, you can:
Call the police.
Be a witness. Stand far enough away to be safe but close enough for the violent person to see you and be aware that they are being watched.
Get others’ support. Ask others who are nearby to help.
Verbally intervene. Tell the violent person clearly that their actions are not okay, they are a crime, and you are calling the police. Ask the victim if they need help.
“Are you okay, do you need a taxi?”
Say something to the man: “Hey, what are you doing?” “That’s not on, mate.”
Stick around to make sure the situation has cooled down.
Create a distraction – so that the abused person has time to get away or the perpetrator slows down or ceases their violence. For example, ask a man harassing a woman on the street for directions or the time.
If you're aware of violence, you can:
Talk to a friend who is verbally or physically abusive to his partner in a private, calm moment, rather than in public or directly after an abusive incident. Tell him that what you witnessed was not okay, and he needs to get some help.
Talk to a group of the perpetrator’s friends and, together, decide on a course of action.
If you have witnessed a friend or colleague abusing a partner, talk to a group of the victim’s friends and strategise a group response.
Talk to the woman – at some point – and let her know you saw what was going on and you’re willing to help her.
If you’re a high school or college student, approach a trusted teacher, social worker, or health professional. Tell them what you’ve observed and ask them to do something, or ask them to advise you on how you might proceed.
In situations when your friends are engaged in harassing or abusive behaviour, such as sexually harassing a woman walking by, you can:
Distract your friends by saying something like “chill out, guys”.
Try to convince your peers to stop.
Walk away, signalling your rejection of their harassing behaviour.
Speaking up against violence can be tricky and varies depending on the situation.
To show you are against violence, you can:
Make your concern known.
“Hey mate, that’s sexist and I don’t think it’s funny.”
“I think those words are really hurtful.”
Refrain from laughing when you’re expected to.
Personalise the violence or injustice. Bring it home.
“What if that was your sister / daughter / mother?”
“I hope no one ever talks about you like that.”
Remind him that she has feelings and rights.
“Just like your mum or your sister, she has the right to be treated with respect.”
Ask for an explanation.
“What are you doing?”
“What are you saying?”
Remind him of his ‘best self’.
“Come on mate, you are better than that."
Use your friendship.
“Hey mate… as your friend I’ve gotta tell you that getting a girl drunk to have sex with her isn’t cool, and could get you in a lot of trouble. Don’t do it.”
Invite group pressure.
“I don’t feel good about this. Does anyone else feel uncomfortable too?"