Commentary
Violence and Culture
According the GDI's research associate Penninah Ogada, violence
against women is so universal it knows no cultural, class,
educational,
regional, political, racial or economic boundaries. From the
United States to India, Australia, South America, Europe and
Africa, incidents of violence against women occur all the time
in different forms. Yet in many developing countries culture
is blamed and proponents would have us believe that culture
is static and mean towards women, or is it? For more on her
perspective, click here.
Research
Inter-American Forum on Education and
Violence
Practitioners
and researchers from 10 countries gathered at the University
of Costa Rica to explore perspectives and approaches to gender-based
violence. Co-sponsored by the Gender & Diversities Institute
and the Center for Research in Women's Studies at the university,
this session brought together those who often do not have
the opportunity to participate in international conferences
and created bridges for new dialogue. To learn more, click
here.
Gendered Violence: Examining Education's
Role
Male violence against women and girls
is a growing problem. This comprehensive working paper from
the WEEA Equity Resource Center looks at all forms of violence
as variations of a theme places education at the center
of
prevention efforts. By exploring the implications of gender-role
socialization and the role of schools as carriers of the
culture,
Gendered Violence offers a framework for understanding the
systemic and personal issues we must address in order to
create
schools and a society that affirm positive relationships
rather than support violence. To learn more, click here.
WEEA Projects Address Gendered Violence
Among one of the first to recognize the
negative impact sexual harassment had on girls ability to
learn, the Women Educational Equity Act Program funded projects
to make classrooms safer for students. To read about one such
project, click here for more
information.
Research By Others
National Reports on the Situation
of Gender Violence Against Women:
National Report - Jamaica is a national study carried out
by A. Harriott on the situation of gender violence against
women. It shows that the homicide rate in Jamaica is four
times higher than the world rate, with the city of Kingston
having the highest rate in the world. Click here
for more information.
Dating Violence Against Adolescent
Girls Linked with Teen Pregnancy, Suicide Attempts, and Other
Health Risk Behaviors is the
first large-scale study to examine the association between
health risks and young girls' history of violence from dating
partners. Click here
for more information.
Scared At School: Sexual Violence
Against Girls In South African Schools documents
school-based sexual violence; reviews school and state responses
to sexual violence; explains the discriminatory impact on
girls' education rights when the government does not respond
adequately and effectively to gender-based violence; and sets
forth recommendations to rectify these problems. Click here
for more information.
Survey on Violence Against Women (IVAWS)
is an international, comparative survey specifically designed
to target men's violence against women, especially domestic
violence and sexual assault. The objective of the IVAWS project
is to assess the level of victimization of women in a number
of countries world-wide, on a repeatable basis, and to provide
novel inputs for the development of specific criminal justice
approaches. Click here
for more information.
Conceptualizing
Private Violence Against Sexual Minorities As Gendered Violence:
An International And Comparative Law Perspective speaks
to the issue of sexual minorities as "gender outlaws" and
overcoming international law's deference to national law
and local custom. Examples of progress in piercing the public/private
distinction in national and international law are given.
Click here
for more information.
Projects within EDC
Virtual Working Group to End Violence,
a global on-line Working Group for the United Nations Development
Fund for Women. The group is building a resource base of cases,
successful strategies, and lessons learned about ending violence
against women. Click here
to learn more.
Collaborations to Address Domestic
Violence and Child Maltreatment: A Public-Private Initiative:
this demonstration project in five communities is
testing recommendations published by the National Council of
Juvenile and Family Court Judges. The goals are to: enhance
collaboration among courts, battered women's services, and child
welfare agencies; prevent further abuse of battered women and
their children; hold batterers accountable; and expand community
resources. Click here
to learn more.
National Center for College Health
and Safety assists colleges and universities in developing,
implementing, and evaluating prevention policies and programs
that address a broad range of health and safety issues at institutions
of higher education including violence. Click here
to learn more.
Reporting Campus Sexual Assaults.
This study mandated by Congress
assesses policies and procedures followed by colleges and universities
when campus sexual assaults are reported. Click here
to learn more.
Projects By Others
The United Nations Development
Fund for Women (UNIFEM)
this year through its Trust Fund in Support of Actions to
Eliminate Violence against Women will support several new
projects. Following are a few examples: The experiences of
rape survivors living with HIV/AIDS in Rwanda and Burundi
will be documented to raise awareness of the problems these
women face, and to promote protective laws and increased financial
support; a gender-sensitive media code for journalists will
be developed in Bosnia and Herzegovina; teachers in Bolivia
will be trained to advocate for the inclusion of domestic
violence in the school curricula; a series of dramas broadcast
over National Radio in Cambodia will allow audience members
to discuss domestic violence and receive referrals for legal
and psychological counseling. For more information about this
initiative click here.
Women, War and Peace: The Independent
Experts' Assessment on the Impact of Armed Conflict on Women
and Women's Role in Peace-building
covers many areas of concern, from the gender dimensions of
violence and displacement during conflict to the role of peacekeepers
and the need for women to play a central part during peace
negotiations and reconstruction. Key recommendations focus
on finding ways to protect and empower women. Click here
for more information.
Conferences
and Events
This list is
a sampling of upcoming conferences. They may be helpful in
developing violence prevention initiatives for women. They
and others covering a wide range of topics are posted on our
website. If you would like to publicize your conference on
our website, please send this information to us by clicking
here.
Resources
This is a list
of projects, websites, and publications that you may find
useful in learning more about the issues presented in this
edition of GDTI Online News. If you would like to suggest some
resources on our site, please send this information to us
by clicking here.
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