Around the World, 1 in 3 Women Are Victims of Domestic Violence

by Alex DiBranco · 2010-10-14 08:34:00 -0400
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Zou Xiaoqaio, vice-chairwoman of the United Nation's Committee on the Elimination of Discrimination Against Women, has a reminder for everyone: one in three women around the world are domestic violence victims/survivors.

"At least one every three women has been beaten, coerced into sex or abused in some other way, usually by an intimate partner or family member," Xiaoquaio stated at a press conference. Women are not even safe in their own homes from rape or abuse. They're not safe with the people who should be there to love and protect them. Women are so often given trite safety warnings such as not walking around alone after dark and locking their doors. What if that only locks them in with their rapist?

Some women and girls, Xiaoquaio points out, end up married to their rapist because that is seen as the way to preserve her "honor." If her marriage was founded on an act of sexual violence, what hope does she have that her husband will not assault her once he has her legally connected to him, perhaps in a place that refuses to recognize the existence of marital rape? There's also sex trafficking and bride-selling to paint an even rosier picture for the women and girls of the globe.

One of the current headline-catching stories of intrafamilial violence hails from Canada, where a father put his 13-year-old daughter into a coma, reportedly for not praying. She died from her injuries. And while many reports have focused on this as an attack of religious rage, neighbors said that the father could often be heard yelling at his family, and that the girl had undergone a marked personality shift, becoming much quieter. These were signs of a volatile, abusive environment. Whatever role religion played in this tragedy — it's certainly one of the motivations abusers use to justify violence (most people think of "honor killings") — the real issue is rampant domestic violence against women.

Since October is Domestic Violence Awareness Month, now is a good time to reflect on how we can keep women safe around the world. To help end violence against women and girls, you can sign this petition by Women Thrive Worldwide asking Congress to pass the International Violence Against Women Act.

Photo credit: Sasha Wolff

Alex DiBranco is a Change.org Editor who has worked for the Nation, Political Research Associates, and the Center for American Progress. She is now based in New York City.
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