Women are being interviewed for the report on domestic violence.
The report "Out of Court Resolutions of Violence Against Women" has
been written as a part of the project "Ending violence against Women".
The aim of the report is to convey an idea of the perceptions of domestic violence and resolution of domestic violence
at the community level. In interviewing over 300 people in five very different communities, impressions reflecting actual realities of the different kinds of domestic violence and resolution processes
that exist in these communities are presented.Domestic violence affects the whole society
About the project "Ending
violence against Women" began in Cambodia in 2007. The project is supported by DanChurchAid over a period of three years. It will be concluded in December 2009.
It is clear that
many people are affected by domestic violence â€" survivors who suffer violence and inept attempts at resolving their situations, authorities who would like to better assist domestic
violence victims but are hampered by their low technical skills and traditional attitudes and community members who witness the violence, intervene and often assist parties in resolving the situation. Lack of knowledge prevents resolutions
It is also clear that many people within these groups do not have the necessary attitudes, skills and the knowledge to resolve
these situations in order to prevent further violence and that cultural norms, traditional attitudes and discriminatory treatment of female domestic violence survivors continue to prevent
meaningful and gender sensitive resolutions of domestic violence.Cultural norms over safety and well-being
Both men and women have been interviewed
for the report.
The communities in the report vary in size, population, socio-economic sectors, industries and job, age, sex, education, differing levels of NGO intervention, remoteness
and isolation yet they have one thing in common. Across every community, perceptions of domestic violence are largely the same, resolution processes of domestic violence are much the same and the
attitudes towards domestic violence survivors and towards domestic violence in general, discriminate against these people by placing value on cultural norms over the safety, wishes and well-being of
the survivor.
It is interesting to see that in five very different communities in Cambodia women suffering
domestic violence are not only suffering from the effects of violence but are suffering from the resolution process itself.
Partners in the project "Ending violence against Women":ADHOC, CDP, CWCC, Folkekirkens
Nødhjælp/Christian Aid and other DanChurchAid/Christian Aid-partners, who focus on violence against women:
LICADHO, TPO, NGO CEDAW, GAD-C, PK
[ Any views expressed in this article are those of the writer and not of Reuters. ]
Women run for shelter during heavy rains in the northern Indian city of Chandigarh July 23, 2009. India's monsoon rains were 15 percent above normal in the week to July 22, ...
