“Violence against women happens more than you think. It’s mostly committed by men. We won’t stand for it.”
You would think that this statement was made by women. In fact, it was made by men. Men who work against violence on women and who had started a world-wide movement: The White Ribbon Campaign.
Of course, the white ribbon is merely a symbol and what matters is the meaning and the substance of what these men have been doing. This promotion makes sense to me because there are and there have been countless campaigns by women speaking for victims and by women who were victims themselves.
To have men on board, campaigning against violence on women, is significant.
The United Nations officially recognised November 25 as International Day for the Elimination of Violence Against Women in 1999. The World Health Organisation describes the blight of gender violence as a major health hazard which affects over one third of all women from all social classes in all societies.
There is now also White Ribbon Day on the same date, an annual event where men are encouraged, by other men, to pledge not to commit violence, not to condone or remain silent about violence and abuse against women and girls. Attention is drawn for all to challenge the acceptability of violence.
I last wrote on this topic just after Christine Sammut was killed by her partner: “Jane Gerada, Josette Scicluna, Catherine Agius... and now Christine Sammut joins the roll-call of women murdered by their husbands, partners, or former ones. In the latter two cases, both perpetrators of the crime gave themselves up to the police right after the killing claiming responsibility for the murders”.
I had ended my piece with a proposal which the British Home Secretary had just made, that of introducing a scheme which was already giving good results in New York where it was first tested. According to their records, the system helped cut down the incidence of physical domestic violence significantly. “This involved giving the police wide powers to conduct spot checks on men reported for beating their partners. It is said the exercise yielded good results because perpetrators felt a sense of being watched and that their coats are hanging on shaky nails.”
The idea of random visits by the police resulted in domestic violence murders decline by 64 per cent in five years in New York. This is attributed to the fact that abusers get a sense of being watched. I think it makes sense to consider a similar policy here.
To have men on board, campaigning against violence on women, is significant
Domestic violence makes the headlines when the victim is killed but it is an every day occurrence and a way of life for some women.
There are those who just learn to live with it if they are not in a position to leave the violent household, often because they are not economically independent and have children to maintain.
As from today, we shall have our own Men Against Violence to draw attention to this scourge of society. If it is true that men are more likely to listen to other men when it comes to the perpetration of violence, then this is a step in the right direction.
Lara Dimitrijevic is the chairwoman of the group and says it is being launched “by a coalition of people and organisations intent on contributing towards a society which is more respectful of gender differences. The primary aim of the coalition is to engage men and boys to end violence against women”.
The idea is to have this goal reached “by having men holding other men accountable for the creation of a climate of mutual respect between the sexes. This will come about when men and boys take an active stand in the prevention of violence against women, thereby promoting healthy and equal relationships”.
Men Against Violence will be launched this afternoon.
Helena Dalli is Minister for Social Dialogue, Consumer Affairs and Civil Liberties.