Breaking the silence

Friday, 8 March 2013 00:01 - - {{hitsCtrl.values.hits}}

It is almost mandatory to pen columns about gender rights on Women’s Day, but horrific incidents such as the Delhi gang rape keep statements on violence from becoming hackneyed, for violence is the unending thread that weaves though women’s rights even as justice demands that the fight continues.

Although the words “It’s a girl!” should be an exclamation of joy, as Evan Grae Davis says in his documentary of the same name, these are, instead, the three deadliest words in some countries. In a TED talk (itsagirlmovie.com), he points out that 200 million — the number that could be determined since records began a few decades ago — is more than the total number of fatalities in World Wars I and II, plus all the major genocides of the 20th century.

In 2011, the Thompson Reuters Foundation conducted a global survey of perception of threats ranging from domestic abuse and economic discrimination to female feticide, genital mutilation and acid attacks. Afghanistan came first on the list, followed by Congo, Pakistan, India and Somalia. In South Asia, fears of gang rapes, honour killings, dowry deaths and human trafficking are also common.

This will not come as news to local women. Some rights activists have estimated that a woman gets raped in Sri Lanka every 90 minutes – a horrific enough figure, without adding the rest of the abuses to the list. Only a day ago front pages of newspapers screamed headlines of a man setting his wife on fire. In fact, husbands or paramours killing, beating or otherwise abusing women is daily fare in mainstream media.

The disempowerment of women can happen in more subtle ways as well. Sri Lanka’s low representation of women in politics is an oft-highlighted example of how women’s rights of representation and equality are undermined. Their ability to take part in the highest decision-making processes of the land and have a direct impact on decisions regarding economic, social and legal independence should be promoted but in reality rarely even gets a footnote.

Sri Lanka is also home to many women victimised by war. It is estimated that over 30,000 war widows live in the east while almost three times that number can be found in the north. Living in a highly militarised, and therefore largely male, environment, these women often face vulnerable situations. Devoid of protection from parents and relatives, women, especially young women, often struggle to maintain their independence and safety.

The International Crisis Group in a recent study reiterated the challenges faced by war-affected women and pointed out that the Government has largely ignored these implications. A report released by Human Rights Watch earlier this month also held disturbing charges of rape being used as a weapon to obtain confessions from detainees. The Government’s sweeping dismissal of such charges and refusal to investigate such allegations in a credible manner will continue to pose question marks on the safety on women.

Fast-tracking cases of abuse is essential to obtain justice for victims. It often takes years for rape cases to be concluded, but even then offenders receive a slap on the wrist. Unfortunately, faced with social stigma and a crippled legal system, most women continue to suffer in silence.