AREQUIPA PERÚ
DESTINATARIOS Y PROCESOS EDUCATIVOS
There are multiple causes of violence against women in Solomon Islands but it is believed to be primarily caused by gender inequality. Most of the men interviewed acknowledged that two factors that trigger violence is the acceptance of violence as a form of disciplining and gender inequality. About 73 percent of the men and 73 percent of women also agreed that violence is a justifiable form of punishment and discipline for women who transgress their social and cultural gender roles especially when the acts harm the family’s reputation.53
For many years men and women have observed differentiated gender
roles and it is culturally known that
women are inferior to men and should be submissive, while men
are considered powerful and have
authority over women. Gender
roles are socially constructed roles
ascribed to men and women which impact on all aspects of their daily life. Gender ascribed roles determine what men and women should
display in any situation and these
roles exist as norms that require the compliance of men and women at all times in the household, in private or public areas (Boudet
2013). The unequal power relations also informs the different levels of influence that men and women have in decision making processes within households and communities; but men have always dominated decision makings and leadership roles in these forums.
The traditional practice of bride price in Solomon Islands is also responsible for much of the violence committed against women. The fact that women have been acquired with a bride price makes them vulnerable to violence and to being treated as property. Men have the perception that since women have been ‘bought’, they become their property and are eligible to do as they please with them. Although, bride price is a traditional practice, it gives men more power over women. The social and cultural perception of male masculinity also influences violence and the right of men to control their wives as they wish, while women feel that being bought with a bride price makes them the property of the men and prevents them from leaving the men even if they experience violence.54
53 Violence against Women in Solomon Islands 2015
54 http://www.un.org/womenwatch/daw/egm/vaw_legislation_2009/Expert%20Paper%20 EGMGPLHP%20_Imrana%20Jalal_.pdf
Women of Waves of Change advocating for women’s rights and raising awareness on violence against women through theatre drama. The
The differentiated roles of men and women and unequal power relations between them have always been accepted culturally and instilled as part of the daily livelihoods that support the social structure of the community. Even violence against women has long been conceptualized as a cultural practice and normalized as a legitimate form of discipline. It was never regarded as a crime until very recently when such acts of violence were criminalized. Domestic violence is seen as a private matter and many families prefer to resolve their domestic issues culturally or to seek external traditional counselling with serious matters, however, outside intervention is usually avoided.
THE famous Mere’s Market has been officially opened, Wednesday at the National Art Gallery. Mere Market, organised for women by Solomon Islands Women in Business (SIWIBA) is part of the organisation’s activities aimed at empowering women.
SIWIBA aims to promote economic empowerment for women in the Solomon Islands and is always looking for opportunities to form new partnerships with business houses, government and NGO’s. Mere Market is an opportunity for members to market their business as well as sell their goods and services. Managing Director Dalcy Tekulu said that the Mere Market program is scheduled to take three days starting yesterday.
“We have a lot of talented women in the country but ways to expose their wealth of skills and knowledge is the problem, therefore this program is being organised for such skillfull women to come out with their products and sell them here,” Mrs Tekulu said. She added that the ‘market’ has been hosted on several occasion already and it has proven to be very effective for women. “There is no place for women to display and sell their skilled products, but the opportunity given to women to showcase their products through the Mere Market program should send a clear message, that it is a
business movement, that needs proper shelter. “A lot of skilled women in the country have been engaging in various small business activities but were not given a place to showcase and sell.”
A visit by this paper yesterday saw that there were many different kinds of products displayed at the venue. The market has since been proved popular and is attracting public interest. “Our aim is to encourage women who have skill and talents to materialize them for money,” she added.
By LESLEY SANGA
Based on the interviews, many stakeholders expressed the view that the misuse of culture is also responsible for increased violence against women because men have the mentality that since they are superior and have power over women, they can perform violence against women as a way of controlling and disciplining them. Women on the other hand feel that
if they fail to uphold their gender roles in their households and social and
cultural obligations in the community; they deserve to be punished and accept violence as a form of discipline. Since violence is observed as part of an everyday life, it has characterized the livelihoods of women and even children in Solomon Islands.
Joint efforts of the Ministry of Women, Youth, Family and Children Affairs (MWYFCA) and the National Statistics Office (NSO) with assistance from the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade (Australia), United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) and the Secretariat of the Pacific Community (SPC) led to the initial study of violence against women and children in Solomon Islands. The World Health Organisation (WHO) methodology for the country study on Women’s Health and Domestic Violence was used. The Solomon Islands Family Health and Support Survey (SIFHSS) was conducted in 2007. It involved the recruitment of 70 women across Solomon Islands who underwent three weeks of training to equip them for the survey and to cover 2,290 randomly sampled households across the country. The study was aimed to determine;
• the prevalence of violence against women by intimate partners
• evaluate links between violence against women and their health
• identify the risks and protection factors, and strategies in which women could cope with the issue and the state of support services provided, and
• assess the links between violence against women and child abuse. The study showed that 64 percent of women in Solomon Islands aged between 15 and 49 who have had an intimate partner have at least experienced physical or sexual violence. The study also indicated that 18 percent of the women have experienced non-partner violence and 37 percent have been sexually abused before the age of 15. Victims of violence have been reported to have poorer health conditions and are four times more likely than others who have attempted to commit suicide to try and kill themselves. Overall, the study showed that physical and sexual partner violence accounted for 64 percent which is the third highest in the Pacific, followed by emotional partner violence which accounted for 56 percent. Sexual violence accounted for 55 percent and 46 percent of women experienced physical partner violence.55
Findings from the study were disseminated and used to develop responsive policies on violence against women in the country. The study also pushed for
immediate action to be taken by the government, NGOs and relevant bodies to address the issue which led to the implementation of national policies and an action plan. In 2010, the Solomon Islands government developed a National Policy on Eliminating Violence against Women (EVAW) with a 10 year national action plan to guide the implementation of the Policy. In the same year, the government also implemented a national policy on Gender Equity and Women’s Development (GEWD) to recognize women’s rights and empower women to participate in economic, social and political activities. The results of violence from the study also gained significance as a basis of awareness programmes and to publicise facts about the prevalence of violence against women in Solomon Islands.
In 2014, the government, with the assistance of the Regional Rights Resources Team, passed the Family Protection Act as an effort to address the issue of gender based violence, particularly domestic violence in Solomon Islands. The Act prohibits conduct or threats committed by a person against
another person and this includes
physical, sexual, psychological, and economic abuse. The Act underlines
the types of relationships in which
domestic violence can occur. While it criminalizes acts relating to domestic violence, the Act also
provides civil support to protect
victims and ensure their safety. The Act enforces a penalty of SBD 30,000 or a 3 year imprisonment, or both for perpetrators who are found guilty.56 The Act has received divided support from the general public. While many people are pleased that the Act addresses the escalating cases of domestic violence such as rapes and killing of women; others are less supportive and still prefer and maintain cultural ways of resolving minor domestic violence rather than having outside interventions. Some men, think (wrongly) the Act only focuses on women and their interests while recognizing their rights and empowering them, a cultural contradiction of women’s role as submissive to men. Many men fear that the empowerment of women and recognition of their rights will allow women to override them. A majority of the non- supportive men are from rural areas where they lack access to information and awareness programmes on violence against women, and still closely observe cultural values and gender roles.
In addition, most of the people in rural communities lack the training to understand the conventions and concepts such as domestic violence, gender, and the empowerment of women presented under the policies and
56 http://www.parliament.gov.sb/index.php?q=node/819