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No. 00295 |
November 8 - 14, 2003 |
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Violence against women: Raising public awareness"It is a scourge that preys on women and girls of all nations, of all cultures. It is gender-based violence — and it continues to grow, encouraged by the silence surrounding the issue and excused by reference to cultural norms. Gender- based violence is the social, psychological and economic subordination of women and occurs in all societies… Violence gainst women is a complex phenomenon deeply rooted in the way society is composed — cultural beliefs, power relations, economic power imbalances, and the masculine ideal of male dominance." Kofi Annan UN Secretary General, commemorating International Day for the Elimination of Violence against Women. International End Violence against Women Day is designed to raise public awareness of the world-wide problem. Observation of the day was first declared in 1981 in Latin America. The date of November 25th was chosen to celebrate the lives of the Mirabel sisters, political activists in the Dominican Republic who systematically denounced all forms of gender violence. The Mirabel sisters were ordinary housewives and mothers who fought one of the most repressive dictatorships in the western hemisphere, led by Raphael Trujillo. Their brutal assassination was one of the events that helped propel the anti-Trujillo movement. Within a year, the dictatorship came to an end. Since then, many countries around the world have joined the movement by initiating protests, parties, and campaigns to end violence against women in their respective communities. Commencing on November 25th, activists from around the world will begin a one year long campaign to make spousal abuse illegal in Tanzania. Petitions will be circulated in Tanzania, neighboring African nations, United States, Britain and Canada, calling on the Tanzanian government to recognize its responsibility to protect its women citizens by prohibiting and penalizing the practice of spousal abuse. What is a petition and Why is it effective? A Petition is a formal written request made to an official person or organized body. It is one of the oldest forms of campaigning and has proven to be an effective, non-violent way for individuals to communicate their concerns to those responsible for violating human rights. By participating in this global campaign, Tanzanians have an opportunity to show our solidarity and take action to stop the practice of domestic violence. The petition states support for the rights of women and demands that spousal abuse be illegal in Tanzania. Anyone can sign the petition and take part in its distribution. Petitions are available in every language; including Swahili, Maasai, English, etc… The petitions will be presented to the governments of all participating countries in an effort to urge the Tanzanian government to make the practice of spousal abuse and spousal rape illegal. Over the last decade, Tanzania has made progress towards ensuring the rights of women. We must continue this progress by pressuring the government for more gender sensitive policies and legislation. If you would like more information about this opportunity to renew our commitment to end violence in women’s lives, please email Kimberly@aidafrica.org
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Last modified:
November 06, 2003. Webmaster: WDJMallya |
