VIOLENCE AGAINST WOMEN

A BRIEF VIEW OF ROMANIAN SITUATION

YOU KNOW ...

„All human beings are born free and equal in

dignity and rights.

They are endowed with reason and conscience and

should act towards one another in a

spirit of brotherhood”Article 1,

UNIVERSAL DECLARATION OF HUMAN RIGHTS, 1948

ONE MORE TIME...

Liberty

Equality in dignity and rights

Brotherhood

WHAT IS VIOLENCE AGAINST

WOMEN? Violence against women shall be understood to encompass, but

not be limited to, the following

Physical, sexual and psychological violence occurring in the family, including battering, sexual abuse of female children in the household, dowry-related violence, marital rape, female genital mutilation and other traditional practices harmful to women, non-spousal violence and violence related to exploitation

Physical, sexual and psychological violence occurring within the general community, including rape, sexual abuse, sexual harassment and intimidation at work, in educational institutions and elsewhere, trafficking in women and forced prostitution

Physical, sexual and psychological violence perpetrated or condoned by the State, wherever it occurs

UNO Declaration on the Elimination of Violence against Women,

1993, art. 2

SOME TYPES OF VIOLENCE

AGAINST WOMEN

Rape · Marital rape · Mass rape (as weapon of war)

Beating · Spanking · Sexual mutilation

Deprivation of liberty· Forced marriage· Traffic · Prostitution

Sexual harassment · Degrading treatment · Humiliation

“Honor” killings · Infanticide on sexual criteria

Threat of violence · Deprivation of access to resources · Blackmail

Deprivation of education

Forced Pregnancy · Forced Abortion

…..and many more

WHERE VIOLENCE AGAINST

WOMEN HAPPENS

In public space -- On the Street· At work

In private space - -At home

IN ROMANIA...

IN CAPITAL CITY

45% of women do not feel safe on city streets during the day,

84% of women do not feel safe on city streets during the night;

2 women out of 10 believe that violence against women is widespread in public places in Bucharest, half, 48% consider that is quite widespread

WHY?

Half of the women in Capital city have witnessed physical attack or sexual assault of a woman in public;

69% have witnessed verbal attacks against women, and 46% for robbing a woman.

Of the 10 women who have witnessed such acts, 8 say no one spoke against the aggressor.

One in four women has been the victim of robbery in public places (6% were victims of sexual assault, and 8% of physical attacks. In most cases women are not informed police)

Approximately 2% of the respondents were violated and the sample of 51 respondents who mentioned this, only 23 have notified the Police.

Almost three quarters (72%) of women in big cities expect that if they would happen to any of the

situations referred,

not to jump anyone help.

YOU HEARD THIS KIND OF

EXPRESSIONS?

„a cerut-o” · „ Asked for it”

„ce căuta pe stradă la ora aia?” · “what she belong on the street at that hour?"

„ea e de vină, doar l-a provocat” · "She's her fault, because she provoked him"

„stai la locul tău” · "Stay in your place"

„o caută cu lumânarea” · “she’s looking for trouble"

„nu îți fie frică, nu o să te doară...” · "Do not be afraid, I will not hurt you..."

„o femeie respectabilă nu umblă noaptea pe străzi "A decent woman don’t walks on the streets at night

/ nu umblă îmbrăcată așa” · / do not go dressed like that"

„unor femei le-a placut cand au fost violate” · "Some women liked when they were raped"

ALL THIS REFLECT

A general social context that

legitimizes;

trivialize; violence against women

encouraging;

ALONGSIDE....

DISTRIBUTION OF DOMESTIC

VIOLENCE VICTIMS BY SEX AND AGE

(2005-2008)

Source: ANPF, 2009

VIOLENCE IN THE FAMILY

1 in 3 women said to have been physically or verbally abused by their spouse, according to the 2004 Reproductive Health Survey

in the first five months of 2008 there were 21.3% more rapes followed by death of the victim to the same period of 2007, according to the Romanian Police

69 women died from domestic violence only in 2007, the trend is increasing, according to ANPF

only in Bucharest in 2006-2007 there were reported 968 cases of violence against women in the family, 10 deaths and 47 rapes violence in the streets, according to the General Headquarter of Bucharest Police

VICIOUS CIRCLE…

YOU HEARD AND THIS KIND

OF EXPRESSIONS?

“unele femei chiar o merit㔓este o chestiune privat㔓unele femei chiar caută bărbați abuzivi”“dacă nu i-ar plăcea, ar pleca”“te bat pentru ca te iubesc”

"Some women even deserve""Is a private matter""Some women just looking for abusive men""If she did not like, she would leave""I beat you because I love you"

REFLECTION….AGAIN

A familial context that also

legitimizes;

trivialize; violence against women

encouraging;

POSSIBLE CONCLUSION???

Women are not really entirely free, because their

lives are built in to the mental acceptance of possibility to be aggressed.

Women are not perceived quite equal in dignity

with men.

Many times we don’t act like a community . We are all

spectators and, in that way, we all participate,

men and women to acts of violence.. .