Violence against women has been present in history since the beginning. The foundation of our society, its ethics, values and morals have framed our past culture to expose our ignorance towards the harsh reality of such unjust. The concept of structural violence was introduced by Johan Galtung in 1969; it refers to a form of violence where a social institution may harm people by preventing them from meeting their basic needs (Sinha, 2018). Structural violence against females can take its toll in a physical, psychological, sexual and economic way. The inequalities include but are not limited to a lack of good data on the issue, inadequate access to education and a lack of access to proper healthcare (Montesanti, 2015). They [the inbalance] stems from patriarchal norms and social stigma from around the world. This includes the population control in China, the wage gap in America and the hardships females of all ages face in the east. One of the most common forms of structural violence is domestic abuse; as it globally rampaging nations today, its victims are still not receiving the support or cultural platform they deserve even as women are creating more noticeable political and social waves.
Domestic abuse is a pattern of coercive, controlling behavior exerted from one person onto another (Russell, 2018). It can be life-threatening and takes on many forms. It does not discriminate, anyone regardless of race, sex, age, and orientation can be a victim, and is usually committed to show a force of power and control. The support for domestic violence has grown over the years but still remains stagnant when it comes to attracting cultural change. In recent news women have stepped out against powerful men share stories of abuse. It started with victims of assault by Hollywood director Harvey Weinstein, since then women have come forth about politicians, and others. The coined #MeToo movement has prompted an ongoing national conversation with the issues of sexual harassment and assault (Wallace, 2018).
Majority of the victims are women who felt uncomfortable about stepping forward with any account of injustice they endured are beginning to share their stories; as a result, offenders are being rightfully reprimanded. This movement has also set a platform for domestic abuse victims, who however don’t seem to be witnessing the same level of importance; regardless of how broadcasted the scandal. In February 2016, former White House staffer Rob Porter was accused of domestic abuse, both physical and verbal towards his ex-wives (Wallace, 2018). The abuse scandal was covered by all major news outlets and covered by the FBI yet left the public unmoved. However, regardless of the lack of public reaction, the statistics are just as serious; every day, on average three or more women are killed in the US by their spouses and the number of deaths is even higher than that (Wallace, 2018).
The practice of domestic abuse against women can be seen in various locations due a multiple number of causes. Women are constantly disadvantaged when it comes to obtaining independence whether it be financial, education, or health related (Murray, 40). This systemic exclusion of a group from obtaining needed resources needed for reaching their full human potential has been called structural violence (Mukherjee, 130). The concept of structural violence is useful to understand the barriers that prevent women from breaking the social mold. Starting from the beginning, patriarchal norms have led to a widespread preference for males (Murray,17). Patriarchy is a system of society where the male figure(s) of the family are viewed as supreme. They hold the primary power in terms of money, decision, social privilege and control of property.
Women, therefore, are oppressed to household tasks and become dependent on the male. Over time, the view of women has been resorted to those who cook, clean, and take care of the children/family; preoccupied with such tasks, they mostly do not work- having no money of their own; they do not an economic foothold to separate from their spouse and therefore endure the consequences of male decisions (Montesanti, 2018). Both poverty and demeaning of women, through patriarchal practices, account for the practices such as infanticide, neglect and sex-selective abortion. Economic and societal pressures, both which stem from the cultural inequalities in gender roles, force parents to prevent the birth of a female infant (Murray, 19). In India, the birth a daughter can be a devasting blow to the family’s finances, because to them a daughter is an “investment;” she will never work the fields, like a son, never contribute to any daily labor, like a son, not earn as much money in a job, like a son, will not go to school, like a son, and nearly 100% of the time requires a dowry during marriage.
Due to all of the social devaluation of women, parents in such a position decide to terminate the life of their daughter (Murray, 20). Parents often insist to get rid of the baby girl at birth and thus infanticide rises, where midwives and other birth attendants will snap the spinal cord of the newborn rendering her “a stillborn.” This is the earliest domestic abuse can begin, where females are not even given the opportunity of life, their potential, stripped of their basic rights and needs due to their lack of positive social connotation, like that associated to a male.
Those females who are born and raised in such areas face even greater challenges, as domestic abuse takes different forms. Girls from low income families in Bangladesh are often more malnourished than boys from the same family. They face greater neglect and are also often less vaccinated and educated. Girls in China face trafficking by their own families and kidnapping as the disproportion of the male and female population increases. The girls may not be valued in individual families, but society needs and demands their presence, so the black market has stepped up (Murray, 27). Girls in areas such as Africa also face genital mutilation and are denied the right to education. Girls in poor countries like such, are vulnerable due to their sex and poverty. They are denied their human right to health care and basic education and are often victims of sexual and physical abuse. They often face the wrath of cultural processes such as female genital mutilation, sexual exploitation (prostitution) and child labor.
While boys face poverty too, the unequal access to such basic needs and the lack of autonomy has greater effects on girls (Murray, 32). These girls then marry due to educational and economic disadvantage, at a young age, and trigger dissatisfaction in spouses- sparking the cycle of violence, divorce and dependency. Such structural violence is the cause of domestic abuse where females are viewed as inferior from birth. The abuse is shown in violent ways from ripping girls away from school, rape, verbal abuse, denied or lack of access to health care and control over their sexuality and reproductive rights.
Over the years, progress has been made towards rectifying the situation and addressing the structural violence threatening women’s rights by uprooting the causes and providing solutions. According to Petchesky, the first Women’s Action Agenda 21, effectively put women’s issues on the global agenda. It detailed a plan to create a development that encompasses environmental protection, military spending, gender rights, the right to health, the alleviation of poverty and the concern of women in all of these areas. This plan came at a time where women’s rights and issues were undefined and lumped into a bigger picture, population control. After that time most of women’s issues were seen effects from violence, and the lack of reproductive and sexual rights. Their focus was on women as subjects of human rights and their bodies as objects of human rights violations. They recognized the violence in forms of sexual and reproductive terms such as rape, forced slavery, war crimes, trafficking, domestic abuse and sterilization.
The focus then shifted to a more social one, regarding dress codes, traditional patriarch social norms and sexual behavior. It gave the women the right to make reproductive and sexual decisions independent of men; shattering tradition. However, regardless of this progress women failed to receive explicit references in documentation regarding their rights. After this the definition shifted to ‘the human rights of women include their right to have control over and decided freely… sexual and reproductive health, free of coercion, discrimination and violence (Petchesky, 38). It recognizes the autonomy of women and their improvement for political, social, economic and health statuses. It also tackles social norms and encourages the government to include activist groups for women and local organizations fighting for female rights. It recognizes the diversity in each household, breaking the social norms of duties and recognizes female led households in the government. The definition of health has extended past reproduction and into family planning, STDs, treatments, cancers, obstetrics and gynecology.
Domestic abuse affects women who are struggling with the epidemic of ‘inequality’ due to the little control they have over the factors that put them at risk. They face structural violence where society denies resources that can help development and health. Women are less likely to be educated; if they work- their wages are significantly less [than men] and are expected to care the burden of the household. They in turn suffer from depression, domestic abuse, desperation, and anger. Domestic abuse is not just rape or a brutal beating. It encompasses various types of abuse that start so early and go undetected for generations. The most effective way to deal with such ignorance among society is to break patriarchal norms and raise awareness. Women should not be subjected to predetermined submissive roles; domestic abuse should be brought up in conversation and structural violence should be addressed on all fronts as a human rights violation.
Works Cited
- Antrobus, Peggy. 2004. “The Global Women’s Movement: Definitions and Local Origins” (pp.9–27). In The Global Women’s Movement, edited by the author. London; New York: Zed Books.
- Antrobus, Peggy. 2004. “Global Contexts for an Emerging Movement: The UN Development Decades, 1960s–1970s” (pp. 28–36). In The Global Women’s Movement,edited by the author. London; New York: Zed Books.
- Antrobus, Peggy. 2004. “A Decade for Women: UN Conferences, 1975–85” (pp. 37–66). In The Global Women’s Movement, edited by the author. London; New York: Zed Books.
- Antrobus, Peggy. 2004. “The Lost Decade–the 1980s” (pp. 67–79). In The Global Women’s Movement, edited by the author. London; New York: Zed Books.
- Montesanti, Stephanie Rose. “The Role of Structural and Interpersonal Violence in the Lives of Women: A Conceptual Shift in Prevention of Gender-Based Violence.” BMC Women’s Health 15 (2015): 93. PMC. Web. 22 Oct. 2018.
- Murray, Anne Firth. 2008. “From the Beginning, A Deadly Preference” (pp. 17–30). In From Outrage to Courage, edited by the author. Monroe, ME: Common Courage Press.
- Murray, Anne Firth. 2008. “Childhood: The Hope of Education and the Persistence of Discrimination” (pp. 31–60). In From Outrage to Courage, edited by the author. Monroe, ME: Common Courage Press.
- Murray, Anne Firth. 2008. “Adolescence: Changes and Vulnerability” (pp. 61–69). In From Outrage to Courage, edited by the author. Monroe, ME: Common Courage Press.
- Murray, Anne Firth. 2008. “The Maternity Death Road: Reproductive and Sexual Health” (pp.85–110). In From Outrage to Courage, edited by the author. Monroe, ME: Common Courage Press.
- Mukherjee, Joia S., Farmer, Didi Bertrand, and Paul E. Farmer. 2010. “The AIDS Pandemic and Women’s Rights” (pp. 129–140). In Women’s Global Health and Human Rights, edited by Padmini Murthy and Clyde Lanford Smith. Sudbury, MA: Jones and Bartlett Publishers.
- Petchesky, Rosalind Pollack. 2003. “The UN Conferences as Sites of Discursive Struggle: Gains and Fault Lines” (pp. 31–75). In Global Prescriptions: Gendering Health and Human Rights, edited by the author. London; New York: Zed Books.
- Russell, Emma. “The #MeToo Workplace Policy That No One Is Talking About.” The New Republic, 19 Oct. 2018, newrepublic.com/article/151769/metoo-workplace-policy-no-one-talking
- Sinha, Parul et al. “Structural Violence on Women: An Impediment to Women Empowerment.” Indian Journal of Community Medicine : Official Publication of Indian Association of Preventive & Social Medicine 42.3 (2017): 134–137. PMC. Web. 22 Oct. 2018.
- Wallace, Kelly. “After #MeToo, Why Isn’t There More Focus on Domestic Violence?” CNN, Cable News Network, 20 Feb. 2018, www.cnn.com/2018/02/20/health/metoo-domestic-violence-screening-tool/index.html.
