The Many Forms of Violence Against Women - Term Paper Example

 Introduction For so long now, women around the world have been subjected to various forms of violence. It is unfortunate that in some communities, even today, women and girls are still seen as "possessions" of men and thus are to be used as they please. It is this notion that is still an issue in some countries, especially developing countries that have made it almost impossible to eliminate the many forms of violence against women. The assault against women can be viewed in several dimensions that are prevalent in different societies. Attempts to cure this problem by women empowerment agencies and by government initiatives in most cases prove futile. This is because the victims of assault, either women or girls are in most cases not willing to report the perpetrators and in other cases they don't show signs of abuse. This is usually due to the social norms of a said society or the dependence that these women have on the men who victimize them. Taking India as an example, the society as well as the economic dependence that women have on men have allowed men to continue discriminating and abusing women and girls. Reports have been made of women been assaulted to the point of death in some Indian communities that have raised several questions concerning the protection of women rights by the law. This paper will discuss some of these inhuman assaults to women that have been taking place and still go on even at this age. The issue of rape is the most disturbing and prevalent form of assault against women. With cases of rape around the world rising, this has become a problem in most societies and the victims are innocent women and girls. Taking the example of Canada, the number of women that reported having been sexually assaulted in 2009 were a staggering 472,000. As mentioned in the introduction, this number could be greater since this figure only counts for the self-reported victims. Statistics shows that most of the victims are women of ages between 15 and 24. This problem has proven difficult to curb for women, in most cases, lack the confidence to talk about the traumatic events that they go through such as rape (Renzetti, 2011). With rapes case being reported to happen almost everywhere, be it at homes, streets or workplaces, women have been left insecure and almost powerless. Gang rape is an even worse for victims since some have been reported to die after such horrible experiences or suffered irredeemable trauma. Another form of assault that is close associated with rape is physical abuse. Most rape cases follow as a result of an episode of physical abuse. This includes any of the following acts by men against women: inflicting bodily harm using objects, slapping, kicking, choking or restraining women just to undermine them. The people who commit these acts are either the men that the victims are in intimate sexual relationship with or rogue people in the society with ill motives against women. According to the World Health Organization (WHO), violence against women is a leading health problem around the globe. It is surprising that women suffer these forms of physical abuse in situations where they should have been safe. Statistics shows that averagely, about 30% of women who have been in relationships have undergone some form of physical abuse as well as sexual assault committed by the partners who should offer protection to these victims. The results of these forms of violence are either physical, mental or more importantly health reproductive problems. All these have left women most vulnerable to HIV (Gerdes, 2012). Domestic assault or what is known as spousal abuse has risen to be a problem facing women worldwide with any married woman being a possible victim of such. The fact that domestic violence happens within a marriage have made it a problem to be overlooked or an excuse by the society while, on the other hand, women continue to suffer psychologically and physically. Marriages are meant to provide comfort to both parties but with one party wanting to dominate the other, in most cases men, the marriage turns to be a "hell "situation for women. These men inflict fear and intimidation to their partners hence making their life hard both at home and all social circles. The problem of domestic abuse does not discriminate couples of any kind. It can happen to any woman regardless of their social background or their economic stature. The bottom line, however, is that domestic abuse is not acceptable and should be condemned. Women should be encouraged to report their spouses if they subject them to the slightest form of domestic violence. This can be a significant step towards solving this global problem. Psychological or emotional abuse is also a prominent form of violence that women fall victim. This form of assault against women includes any act that inflicts fear. It could be through intimidation, diminishing of the self-worth of a woman or infliction of emotional trauma (Gerdes, 2012). Women are potential victims of emotional stress in almost everywhere that they go. At workplaces, supervisors are reported to have intimidated female workers to give in to their sexual pleas so that the latter keep they jobs. In the streets, women are, in most cases, abused verbally; which has an emotional impact on them. At home, married women especially those with spouses with various forms of drug addictions, find themselves on the receiving end of emotional abuse every now and then. Coming home drunk or under the influence of any other drugs, men yell insulting words to their wives even in the presence of their children. The fact that women have little or nothing to do about such situations makes them suffer psychologically. This has led to increased cases of depression among married women as well as the increase in bipolar conditions. This is because the psychological torture undergone by these women triggers the above illness. Other minor forms of assault that women go through include social, religious, financial, stalking, early marriages as well as environmental abuse. To begin with, social abuse is mostly ingrained in social behaviors that lead to women being alienated from their family or friends. Some communities, such as strict Muslim societies, control what their women do in almost all aspects of life which in the eyes of onlookers is a form of abuse against women (Renzetti, 2011). Financial abuse mostly occurs within marriages. Some men in marriages reduce their wives' economic independence by making the family money their own. It even becomes worse when they spend this in gambling or to get sexual services outside marriage. Though this does not come out as an assault to women, it leads to discomfort among married women or even psychological torture. The issues of stalking have risen to the level of assault against women since most stalkers are psychologically disturbed individuals with the full potential to harm their victims (Renzetti, 2011). The stalking habit itself inflicts fear in women since stalkers use unorthodox ways to express their feelings to the women they pursue. The issue of early marriages has been a problem mostly on the African continent. Here, some of the societies still uphold cultural practices that allow girls of tender age to be married off to older men. These cultures have left the future of young girls at the mercy of government aid. By being married as young as 13 years, these girls are denied the chance to acquire an education hence they remain dependent on men in the society. These men, in turn, use them for their pleasure. Lastly, religion has been seen to be the basis of abuse against women. This happens in religions that justify that women are inferior to men and hence allow men to exert dominance and violence against women (Gerdes, 2012) In conclusion, assault of women is a problem that both men and women in all parts of the world should condemn and put enough effort so that it is eliminated once and for all. Both women empowerment groups and government agencies set to deal with cases of assault of women should intensify their operations to ensure that those found victimizing women in one way or the other are dealt with by the law. From my point of view, governments should disband cultural practices that allow men to subject women in their communities to assault. Women themselves also have a great role to play to save themselves from this burden. They can do this effectively by reporting to the right authorities if subjected to any form of assault. References Gerdes, L. (2012). Domestic violence. Detroit: Greenhaven Press. Renzetti, C. (2011). Sourcebook on violence against women (2nd Ed.). Los Angeles: SAGE Publications. Read More