UNITED NATIONS Economic and So cml Disk . Council GENERAL EICN.4 12002 183 31 Jartuazy2002 Original: ENGUSH COMMISSION ON HUMAN RIGHTS Fifl eighth session Item 12(a) of the pmvisional agencI INFEGRA 1 1ON OF THE HUMANRIGHTS OF WOMEN AND THE GENDER PERSPECTIVE VIOLENCE AGAINST WOMEN Reportof tie &b1R porteuronvbbweagainstwoinni, its caus aM conseqirit , Ms. Radh.lka Coo maraswamy, sub milled in act ordair e with Commissionon Human Rights in1uiion200h/49 Culturalpnctices in the family that are vblent towards women E GE.02- 10428 (E)
EJCN.412002t83 rage 2 CONTENTS Pai raç P e Executhe surthlaly 3 Preface - I. INTRODUC I ION . I -I D 7 II. CULTURALPRACTICES IN THE FANIILY THAT VIOLATE WONEN S RIGH 1 11-97 9 A. Female gerdtal mutilaffon 12-20 9 B. HonourIdllfr s 21-37 II C. The 1 1edgir of gir]s for econcmic and culthral arTeasement 38- I S D. Witch huntir 45 - 16 E. Caste 49 -54 I X F. Maniage 55-64 19 G. Discthuinatoiylaws 65-69 21 H. Son Feference 70-81 22 I. R s icffw Faclices 82-88 24 Practices thattolate men s reFoducthe iights 89-95 26 K. Beauty 96 27 L. Incest 97 28 III. IDEOLOGES THAT PERPETUATE CULTURAL PRACTICES THATAR VIOLENTTOW DS WONEN 98- 108 28 A. The R gulaffon offemale sexuality 99- 104 28 B. Masculirdtyandtolence 105 - 108 29 IV. STATER SPONSIBIUTY 109 -119 30 V. R CONThIENDA11ONS 120- 132 33 A. At — inteniaffonal I I 120- 122 33 B. At — naffonal I I 123- 132 33
FJCN.4 12002 183 rage 3 Execu*e sumunry The mth,ersal standards ofhuman iights are oflen derded full oreraffon vthen it comes to — iights ofwomen. Tr oughoutthe rld . there are Facices inthe familythataretolent towards womenandhannful to thefrhealth. Your girisare circumcised . live unders re dress code areg en i nFosffffiffc cderdedForeltuightsandIdlledforthe ikeofhonourinthe family. Trds rerefldocumentsa nmtherofcuThralFacffces vdiichtolate men s human iights to bodilyintegñtyand to exFessiorc as well as undennirdr essenffal lues ofecjuahty anddigrdty. These Faclices andmanyothers cor ffffite afonuofdomesffc tolencebut have avoidednational andinteniational nffnybecause theyare enas culthral Facticesthat desem tolerance and resrect. Culturalrelathismisoflenusedas anexcuse to renrdt irthumane anddi thrdnato w Facces agath6t meninthe commurdty, desrdte clearFo sior inmanyhumanñghts fr thjments , includir the Cor ,ention on — Elirninaffon ofAll Fonus ofDiscñniinaffon agair t Womerç in accordance with vdiichStates re1 es shall take all arFopiate measures to modify — jcial andculthral rattenis ofconduct ofmenand merç withatewto acrde t — eliminaffon ofFejudices and customaryand all other Facices wr h are based on the itha of — fr&eiioiityor the sureiioiityofeither ofthe sexes or on stereot 3 ed roles for men and men (ait5). The SrecialRarTefleurFotdesexter Te emrüicaletdence of fl uiioust 3 esof culthral Factice in the familyfoundindifrerent relts of the rld that are tolent towards women. All cultures — ceflainFaclices that denywomentheinights anddigrdty The SrecialRarTefleurrecords etdence of chFacticesinthe hore that States will take immediate acifonto helperadicate those thatare tolenttowards women. The SrecialRarTefleurg Tessrecial attenifoninthe rerefito doniinantithologiesand sthactures vdthin socieffes that reiretuate cultural Facices that are tolent towards womerç includir the regulaffonoffemale sexualityandma ulfrdtyandtolence. Manyofthe cultural FacffcesdJscus drnthe rereflarebasedona Jciety'sbeliefthatthefreedomofa marc esreciallyhersexualiWnifty , shouldbe cunailedandregulated. Manyscholarshaw reintedout thatthe fearoffemale sexualityandits exFe ionare resrer il le formanyofthe regimes of lawthatorerate inthe culthral re. These ideologies andsthactures emergedina differentera butconfinue tobe hannful to men and to dominate public ordrdonandindMduallifest 3 de thus Fewnffr the eradi affon of Facices that are hannful to women. The rereflemr iasizes State resrer ibi]ityto eradicate tolence inthe farnilyand documents — resithte d lopuentssfrategies to dealwithhannfulculthralFacticesdewlored byStates i ncooreraffonvdthwomen s orgardzatior . The rereflconcludeswithrecommendaffor fromthe SrecialRarTefleuronwa to eliminate cultural Facices that are tolent towards women. The SrecialRarTefleur recornmendsthatwomenfromthe irious commurdffesshouldbe ]jstenedto anda istedto frarIonu hannful Factices vdthoutdesfro ng — iichculthral tare s t,oftheir cieties wr h makes up their i ntity. She urges States not to ir ,oke anycusto tradition or religious cor ideraffon to avoid their obligaffon to eradicate tolence agair 6t men and the girl crdld in
EJCN.412002t83 rage 4 — family. Irnad. — ggest States shouldd loprena]. ci landadirdrdsfrathe sancffor indomesfic legislaffonto punishtolence inthe familyandFotde redress to womentctims, nifthetolenceisassociatedvdthaculthralFacffce. The renal 1ncffonshoWdbesfrong andefrecthe andnotmerelyonparer. FmThenuore, States sh Wdd lopnaffonalplar of acifonto eradicate tolence in the family, reiticularlytolence relafing to culthral Fact ces, through health — educaffon Fogranles at the grass-roots l l. Finally, States should adopt allarFopiate mea jresinthe fleldofeducationto modifythe jcial andculthral rattenis of conduct that foster culffiral Faclices in — familythat are tolent to rds women.
FJCN.4 12002I83 rage 5 Pref&e The Conmii ion on Human Bights, at its flfly-sixth sessiorç in its re jluffon 2001149, tooknote witharFeciaffonofthe rereflofthe SrecialRarTefleurontolence aga r 6t merç its causes and cor ecjuences (EJCN.41200h173 and Add.l-2) and encouraged her in her futhre work. In follow-up to her Fetous rerUns ontolence agair t women in — family (EJCN.4Il995I42, EJCN.4Il996I53, and EICN.4Il999I68), the Fesent rerUn focu s on culbaral Facces inthe familythatareviolent towards women. Workb g methods InanaftempttoFotdeasrematicretewof states 'compliancevdthther international obligaffor with resrect to eradicatir culthral Fact ces that are tolent to rds womerç the SrecialRarTefleurrecjuestedGowrnmentsandnon-gownuuentalorgardzaffor to Fotde herwithwñttenaccountsonhowstate Faclice andrelicyhaw dealtvdth ach Facces. Inrei*ular, — Srecial RarTefleuraskedforir&onuationonthe follo * : (a) S ffidie s that have been canied out on these issues; (13) Anynaffong regional — international irdtiathes that have been taken to cor at — Foblems; (c) Legal or other resources a uilthle (d) Statisffcs in order to e luate the inract oflaws — reicies. The SrecialRarTefleurwouldliketoexFesshergraffffidetoallStatesand non-gownmientalorgardzaffor thatFotdedir&onuafforc wrdrhcon ibutedsigrdflcanilyin — Feraraffonofherrerefl. The SrecialRarTefleurabJ cor tiffitedare archteam fromexrefls aroundthe rldto assist her in rerethng to — Cornmi ion on matters relaffr to cultural Facices. The results of its re arch are inc luded in the r nt rerU n CoimfryvMts The SrecialRarTefleurwouldlike to drawthe attentionofthe Cornmi iononHmuan Bights to — rerUns ofher niissior in 2001 to Siena Leone and Color ia (EJCN.412002t831Add.2 and3). The SrecialRarTofleurwouldlike to take thisorToflurdtyto
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FJCN.4 12002 183 rage 7 I. INTRODUCTION Throughout — world, there are Faclices inthe familythatare tolenttowards women andhannfultotheirhealth. Younggir]sare cfrcmuci d ,]M under wre dresscode giwnin Fostuorc derdedForeltuightsandldlledforthe ike ofhonourinthe family. The Facces andmanyothers cor ffffite afonuofdomesffc tolencebuthaw avoidednational — inteniational nffnybecause treyare seenas cultural Factces thatdeseive tolerance — resrect. The un ,ersal standards ofhmuan iights are oflen derded full oreraffonwhen it comes to the iightsofwomen. Culthralrelath,ism is therefore oflenanexcuse to allowforirthumane anddi thrdnatoryFacffces agath6t womeninthe conmrnrdty Inthe nextcelthn3 the Foblerns resedbyculthral relath,ism, — — implicaffor forwomen's iight willbe one ofthe most inreflant is aes in — field ofinteniaffonal human iights. 2. The Cor ,enffon on — RUmination ofDisciimination agair t Women is extremelyclear. Athcle 5 states: tate Fames shall take all arFopiate measures: (a) To modifythe jcial andculthral rattenls ofconduct ofmenand merç witha tewto acrde t the eliminaffonofFejudices andcustomaryandall otherFaclices wr h are based on the itha ofthe ir&eiioiityor the sureiioiityofeither ofthe sexes or on stereot 3 ed roles for men and men. 3. Athcle 2 ofthe Cor ,entionstates: tate Fanies condenmdi ththnaffonagair twomen inallits fonns, agree to pursuebyallarFopiate mear andvdthoutdelaya re]icyof eliminafing dJsciimination agair t women 4. The r claraffononthe Rlirninaffonofviolence agair tWomerc solernrdyFoclaimedby — General Asser lyinitsre luffon 2IlO4 , a]so states clearly, inai*le 4, tates should condenmtolence agair twomenandshouldnot ir ,oke anycusto traditionorreligious cor ideraffon to avoid their obligaffor with re ect to its ebmination ”. 5. Desrdte these inteniaffonalnonns andstandards, — ter ionbet eenunMmilhmuan iightsandculturalrelatMsm is pla dout inthe r ay]Msofmfflior of menthroughout — globe. The siffiaffonismade more complexbythe fact that womena]so i ntifyvdththeir culthre andare ofrendedbythe anogant ga2e ofoutsiders who ciiticize theirnyofdoing things. Since theirser e ofithnfftyis integrally]inkedto — generalatiftude towards their commurdty, flieir r ofdigrdtyand ]iresTectoflencomes frombeing members ofthe larger commurdty. Inrninoiitycommurdties and trard world commurdties that alreadysufrer from djsciinünafforç t ds ofi ntityreses majorFoblerns for men. Some womenhave told — SrecialRarTefleurthattheydo notrnindwearir — wilbecau they e — wil as stvers ,e agair timreiialism. Culthral markers and culthral i ntitythatallowa gioupto stand urdted agair t the orFession and disciiirdnaffon ofa more re effW etrwic or relifical majoiityoflen entail res ictior on — iights ofwomen. Nhnyindigenous conmrnrdffes do not allow men civil iights or Foreflylights — t theythernselws are oflen a threatened
EJCN.412002t83 rageX commumty,wi 3 n'terable tothe ditatesofthe more re effulgroursinthefrresrecthte socieffes. Forthisreasorç — is ae ofculthralrelathtmreqthres ameasure ofser ifftty Women's iights mustbe tdic atedbutwomenshouldwintho iights ma marajerthat allo s them to be full raifrirants in a commurdtyoftheir choosfr . Without resTec ing their iight to commurdty, anyattempt to straggle for women's iights might create abacidash that will marginali2e — women flghffng for equal iights. 6. N flhele. manyofthe Facices enumerated m the next cffon are uncor ionthle andchallenge thewryconcept of mth,ersal human iights. Nhnyof them ir ,oWe s re rein andsufrenngandmaybecor idered toitre like”inthefrmanifestaffon. ahers achas Foreflyandmafltalflghtsare iitherenilyunequal andblatantlychallenge the internaffonal imrerathes towards equality. The iight to be free from toitre is cor redbymanyscholars to be ius co er a noin of internaffonal lawthat carajot be derogated from bynaffon States. So fundamental is — iight to be free from toflure that along vdth — iight to be free from genocide, it is seen as a noin thatbinds all nation States, vthether or not theyhaw signed any international cor ,entionordocmuent. Therefore those culthral Facticesthat ir ,oWe wre rein and suffeth for the woman or the girl crald. those that do notresTect — pl ical integñtyofthe femalebody, mustreceiw maximum internaffonalscntinyandagitaffon. It is imrerathe that Facices such as female gerdtal mufflatiorç honour killings, Safforanyother fonuofculthralFacffce thatbntalizes — femalebodyrecSte international attenfforç — international l rage shouldbe u dto er ure thatthese Faclices are cuitailedandeirninated asquicidyasressible. 7. OtherculthralFacffces that amount to djscñnünaffonlikevdse require internaffonal attention. Women's iight to free and full cor nt to maniage, — iight to equalitywith — renner throughout a maniage — at its djssolufforç — — iight to irtheñtance — Foreflyare al j matters that are ofseñousconcern. Athcle 16 ofthe Cor ,enffononthe Himinaffonof Discñmination agair t Women clearly ts out — frame rk for maniage — farnilyrelaffor , basedonthe bipinciples offreedom ofchoice andequahtywithinthe maniage. Ho ewr, flie pinciples are oflenincordlictvdthmanyreligiousandcustomaiylaws that regulate maniage — familylife tr oughout — rld 8. Manyofthe laws andFacffces go agath6t cheiishedinternaffonalpinciples. For example, age ofmaniage thatallowsforcrdldmaniage is acleartolaffonofthe Cor ,entionon — Bights of the Crdld. wrdrhis — most vddelyrafffledCor tention i nthe world. indicatir international cor er us on the nom containedin its Fotsior . The refusal to allow men — iight to free and full cor nt al j derogates from recogrdzed pinciples ofhuman iights contained in — Internaffonal Cownants ofHuman Bights. Inboth these context there should be maximum international and national Fes Jre to er ure thatreligious and customaiylaws cor&onu to unmillyacceptedinternaffonalnonns. 9. Withregardto otherFo sior relafing to djsciiminatiorç difrerentarFoacheshawbeen suggestedbydifrerent men's groursaroundthe worldto deal vdththe dilemma re dbythe failure ofinternaffonal standards at — naffonal l l. For some, — notion of ogrete rea]izaffon ofiights” taken from — Committee on Economic, Social and Cultural Bights is seen as — arFop ate shategy, with mirdmumcore iights to be Fotected. mach as those relaffngto — iights ofcrdldrerç tre exercise offree choice and — Fotection ofceflain economic iights of
FJCN.4 12002 183 women. The recent arFoachofthe SouthAfñcanl.awConmiissionis one suchattemptat srellfr outthe mirdmum core iights that shouldbe Fotectedbyanylawrelatir to the family. AnotherarFoachhasbeento give inditdualsandcouplesthe iight to choose the lawthat shouldgovernthefrmaniage so that theycanoptout offrathffonalsrerns infavourofalaw based on the Cor ,ention on tre Eliminaffon ofAll Fonus ofDiscñminaffon agair t Womerç if theyvdshto do j. Trds g es couples — ñghtto exitsremstrattheyfeelare orFesthve or djscñnünatoi 3 vdüchshouldbe afundamentalñghtinanymodenisociety The t 3 esof arFoachshouldbe exploredingreaterdetail inthe irious socieffeswhere this plethoraof frathffonllawsFe ilsandadelilJerate attemptshouldbe — to er ure that inthe nextfew decades, religious andcustomarylawsarebroughtinto cc ffonuityvdthinternaffonalstandards. ID. Inpusrdr forsuchrefonu, — issue ofculthralidenfftyandculthral resrectshoulda]so be takeninto cor ideraffon. Fortrds reasorç womenl ,ir inthese commurdffesshouldbe the ones Fotthng leadersrdp and de sir strategy. The lead ±brchar e and frarIonuaffon must come from them ifun ,ersal standards are to find re Jnance in these ve wd terse socieffes. It is imreflant that — intenmffonalcommurdty rkcloselyvdth menfromthe religious — etrwic grours concerned, so that anychar e is seen to be acceptable to the st majoñtyof womenwho — to live vdthdi thrdnatolyandorFesthve la s. IL CULTURAL PRACTICESINTHE FAMILVTHAT VIOLATE wOMEN'SmGHTS II. There are manyculthralFacffces throughoutthe worldthatare tolenttonrdwomen. Inthissecifonsome ofthe more dJsthibingtolatior are descübed, inorderto rdgrdightthe nature of the Foblem. A. Female gethtalmutllafion 12. Female gerdtal mutilaffon (FGNO, a deeplyrooted traditional Factice, is beli d to have staned in Eg pt some 2,000 sears ago. It is estimated that more than 135 million gir]s and women in the world have undergone FGMand2 miflion gfr]s a ar are atnskofmurnaffon. FGMis FachsedinmanyAfñcancountñes includir Chad, Cote d'Ivoire, Etrdopia, Kenp, Mali, Nigeña, Siena Leone, the Sudan, Uganda and — Urdted P public ofTara,rda. In the Middle East FGMis Facff din E pt Oman, — Urdted Arab Emirates and Yemen. It has ab beenrerefledinAsiancoun iessuchas India, Indonesia, Mala a andSñl.arda Immigrantsfrom these coun iesredbnuFGMinAusfralia, Canada, Demuark, France, Italy, — Netherlands, Sweden, — UrdtedKfr domandthe UrdtedStates ofAmeñca. It is isrected thatFGMis redbnuedamong Jme indigenous groursinCenfralandSouthAmeñca. 13. The methods and t3 es ofmutilaffon differ accordir to each coun and ethrdc group. But FGMmaybe broadlyclassified into four grours: Cinmcision . or cuttir ofthe Fepuce or hood ofthe clitoth, knon in Muslim countñes as sw na (fradiffon). Trds is — mildest fonn, ofFGM — affects ordy a small Forefi on ofwomen. It is — ordyfonu ofmutilaffon to be conecily tenuedcircumcisioorçbut there hasbeena tendencyto groupallhindsof mutilaffor under the misleading tenCfemale circumcision”.
EJCN.412002t83 pige I D (i i) Excision . meaning the cutfing ofthe clitoiis and all or — ofthe labia minora. (ffi) Irdlbulaffon . — cuffing ofthe cmos , labianiinoraandatleastthe anteiior b 'o thirdsandoflenthe wbj]e of the labiamajora. The t sides of the mWaare then pir ed togetherbysi]k or catgut suthre or with thonis, lea t a small orerng for the ra age of urine or mer nal blood. These oreratior&' are done with srecial kr ,es, razorblade sci ors or pieces ofglass and stone. The girl's legs are thenbound together from rap to anlde and she is kept immobile for up to Cda torenrdtthefonuaffonof arff ue. (iv) Intenuediate , meardng — iemo l ofthe citos and some orall ofthe labia niinora. Sometime slices ofthe labiamajoraare removed. The Factce vanes accordir to — demands ofthe girl's relafiws. 14. The mainreasor g tenforthe continuationofthisFacffce are custom andfradiffon. In socieffes where FGM is Factised. a girl is not cor idered an adult or a complete woman until she goes through the Threraffon”. Some socieffes bei that all rer Jr are henuarthrothffc and the remo l ofthe clitoiis makes — female a )ure woman”. It is said a]so to test a woman's abimyto bear rein and defines her futhre roles in life — maniage wrdie Feralilig her for — thnofcrdlc jinh. FGMis a]so aresult of the ra iarchal re erstncthreswr&hlegihmi2e — need to control women's lives. It ari s from — stereot dcal rercepifon ofwomen as — pincirel guardiar ofsexual morait 3 but with unconfrolled sexual urges. FGM reduces a woman's desire for x, reducesthe chancesofsex outside maniage andthus Fomotestrgrty. Itisa]so deemedneces i bysocietyto erthance herhuthand'ssexualpleasure. A huthand mayrejecta manwho — notgone tr oughthe oreration”. Healthreasor are al j put foiward as jusffficaffor for FGM. Umnufflated women ale cor idered unclean. It is bei d that FGM erthances fefliity. It is cor idered that — cmos is reisonous and that it could pick — man or kill a babyat crdlc jinh. In some FGM-Factisir socieffe there is a beiefthat — clitoiiscouldgrowandbecome like a man's rerds. EventhoughFGMFe-dates Jsla religious rea Jr are gb/en for the confinuation ofFGM in some jcieties. 15. Despite achjusffficatior , — rea]ityis thatFGMis aFac ice thathasmanynegathte cor ecjuences. Ovdng to — unk ierdc circumstances inwrdrhitiscaniedout there are many shofi-tenuandlong-tenu healthhazards coraiectedvdthit. Shofl-tenucomrJicatior include localandsrematic ir&ectior , abscesses, ulcer dela edhealir , sepffcaeniia, tetanus, gangrene, severe reinandhaemonhage thatcanleadto shock, damage to — bladderorrectum and other orgar , or ndeath. Long-tenucomrJicatior include urine retentiorç resultir in rereatedularyir&ectior ;obsthactionofmer tnalflo leading to frequentreFoducthe fract fr&ecffor andir&efltht 3 cFolongedandobsthactedlthourleadir to f5sthla fonuationwr h resultsindiibbing urine; vere raindurir intercour ;extremelyrthr&ulmer tnaffon;and rs hologic a l Foblemssuchascr ordc arcdetyanddeFe ion. The cyle ofraincontinues when cutfing and resfftcrdng is canied out to accommodate sexual infimacyand crdlc jinh. 16. Durir the colordalreiiod, attempflere madeto eradicate FGM. Cra sffan missionaiies inthe Sudafliedto uFoot — Facicebyincluding ame age agair t FGMin their medial educaffon Fogranles. When trds s not accessfu], — Biiffsh Colonial
FJCN.4 12002 183 r age 11 Gownuuentresofledtolegislationinl9 . Underthela irdIbualionwasndeurda ful. But t ds did not stop — Faclice; rather it forced the fami]ies to have — procedure done in secret. 17. FGMwas vddelypuhlicizedinWestenicoun ies againinthe l97OsbyEuroreanand NoflhAmeñcanfernirdsts. As aresult, indMdualcoun iesbeganto ra legislationthateither regulated orbarajed FGM Ken condenmed FGMin 1982 and res d fonual legislalion bar dng it inl99O. Cote d'Ivoire Forni d — Urdted Nalior in 1991 to use its ex]sfing cñrninal code to Fordbit — Factice and ressed a law Fordbitir it in 1998. S eden s one ofthe first countñes srecificallyto condemn FGM. Itbarajed health Fofessionals from reffonuir — oreration in 1982. The Urdted Kingdom ressed — F ordbilion ofFemale CfrcumcisionAct 1985. The Urdtedstates andCanadacor iderFGMas at e ofhanu that could qualify meone for Fotection under the Cor ,ention relaling to — Staths ofP fugees. In 1997,the Urdtedstatescñnüna]izedthe Factice ofFGMunderthe IllegalImnii ralionPMonu — hunügrantP srer il iityAct. Ausfralia. NewZealand. Svdfterland. France andthe Netherlands are otherWestenicoun iesthathaw made FGMapunishable offence. P cently , Burhina Fa j , GambiaandE pttookastandagair tFGM 3 The Central Afiican P public, Djil outi. Ghana . Guinea. Senega]. Tara,rda — Togo have a]so ressed legislationbar dng FGM m recent pars. 18. Withinthe UrdtedNalior s tenb it sduñng — UrdtedNatior r cade for Women 1975-1985, that FGM againbecame an issue for djscussion. As a result the then Cenfre forHumanPJghtsinGen n ,the l993WorldCor&erenceonHumanPightsinvieraiaandthe 1993 World Health Assemblycondemned FGM as a tolalion ofhuman iights. The Srecial RarTefleurontolence agath6t merç inherFelinünalyrerelt recogrdzedFGMas afonu of tolence agair 6t men that requires conceited internalional ard nalional acion for its eradic a lion. 19. Inmanycoun ies inAfiica, there nowexistsfrong indigenous movements aimedat stopping the Faclice offemale gerdtalmuhlalion. JnKen there nowexists aceremonycalled circmucision with rds ” , celebraling a Jung girl's en into manhoodbut vdth woris ratherthanthroughgerdtal cuttir . InSenega]. religious leaders have gone on llage-to- llage pilgnmages to stop — Fact cc. It is ordywith enthusiastic surTeit from — local conmiurty that this pmcice can nffiallybe e]iminated. 20. Other fonus ofgerdtal mutilalion a]so exist that require menlion. Tutsi women in RwandaandBunndiundergothe Facliceofelongalionofthelabia ,theaimbeir toallowthe women to exreiience greater sexual plea ire . In other socieies the circumcision of men results intolation ofwomen's iights. In West Timor, durir — male circumcision ceremony, — Jung manbeir circumcisedmust thenhaw sex withtrgingfrlscho nforthe occasion. B. HomurkflTh gs 21. Honourhillir s inPahstan(oiiginallya BalochandPashffiflibalcustom) have recenily recS,edinternalionalaftenlion. Honourldl]ings are nowrereited notordyinBalocrastan. — No itWest FrontierPro tce andurTerSind.but inPunjab Fo t e , as well. Theyare al j rereited in Turkey(eastern — south-eastern Turkeybut a]so in Istanbul — I uir in western
EJCN.412002t83 pige 12 Turke O, Jordarç S ia . E t, Lebanorç Iran . Yemerç Mjrocco andotherMeditenaneanand Gulfcountñes. Itabj takesplace incoun ies machas Oenuan ç France andthe Urdted Kingdom within the migrant conmiurdffes. 4 22. Honour hillfr s are canied outbyhusbands, father brothers or uncle somebmes on beha]fof ibal councils. The hiDing is mairdycanied outbyunder-aged males ofthe familyto reduce — punisrauent. Theyare thenfreatedas heroes. The acffctisfmthererdorsedbythefr fellowimuatesinpi jrciftheyare sentthere,whowashthese wungbo &feetandtellthem thattheyarenow complete”men. Theactisregardedasañteofra age intomanhood. Irordcaily, it is not unheard of for female relafiws to either c any out the murder or be accomplice to it. 23. It shouldbe stated here that it is extremelydifficult to collect accurate statisffcal data on honourldllings inanyg tenconuuurdty As honourhiflings oflenremaina rState famiyafrair, there are no officialstahsffcs onFactice orftecjuencyandthe realnmuberofsuchldllings is silygreater than those rerefled. The Washington Post Foreign Sece rerUns that 278 murderswere rerefledinPunjab in 1999, (8 Nhy2000) The Srecial TaskForce forsindhofthe HmuanPJghts Conurd ionofPahistanrecStedrerefls of196 ca sofhonourIdffingsin 1998 andmorethan300inl999. Eve armorethanl,000 menare hilledinthenameofhonour inPahthtanalone. Durir — numerofl997, KhaledAl-Qudra. thenAttonie Generalinthe PalestirianNaffonalAuthoiitystatedthat he susTectedthat 70 rercentofallmurdersinGaza andthe West Bankwere honourhiflings. Theyare nallyathibutedto nathralcau s. In Lebanorç 36 honourciimes were rerefledbeb een 1996and 1998, injordan2O honourldllings in 1998 andinE Mt 52 similarciimes in 1997. Inlraqmore than C00 womenhawbeenhilled since 1991. The same rerUn stated that beb een 1996 and 1998 in Bangladesh. about 200 women were attacked vdth acidbyhusbands or close relathes, but the nmther ofdeatr is unimon. Inthe Westthere are honourhillfr s among inmügrantconmiurdffes. Inthe UrdtedKingdo INTEP1GH1 hasa sTecialFoject that docmuentsforcedmaniage ca sand — threatofhonourldllings to Biiffshwomenvtho come from immigrant conmiurdifes. 24. In a frecjuenilycited ca , a teenager's tr oat was slit in a ton square in Turkeybecau alowballadwas dedicatedto herowrthe radio. Otherreasor inclaje bth ingfoodlate, ar weth bach . undeflahing fothidden famil 2 isits etc. These women's l ,es are cfrcmnsciibed byfrathffor wrdrher&orce exheme seclusionandsubnii ionto men. Male relaffws itaally on them and punish contraventior oftheirFopietors}üpvdthtolence. 25. It is not nece aii ly for low, shame, j ealou or social e ure that these ciimes are committed. Economic and social i ues al j con ibute to the the in honour hillir s. Amnesty Inteniaffonalclairns that factorssuchasthe Fogree ntalizaffonofsocietydue to cordlict andwar, increa daccessto heavywearer economic decline andsocialfnjsfrationabj leadto increasedre jfl to — honour hillir s tem 26. Clear ir one's honourofshame is t 3 picallyhandledbysheddir — bloodofalowd one; — rer nbeir murderedis t dcallyafemale, — murdereris t3picallyamale relathe, andthe punisrauentofthe male is t 3 dcallynürdmal. Most sipüflcantl c the murdererisrewred andresTectedasathae man.
FJCN.4 12002 183 pige 13 27. Honourisamagicword wrhcanbeusedtocloakthemostheinousofciimes. 5 The concept ofhonour is esTeciallyrewefful because it exists be nd rea Jn andbe nd anal ths. But what masquerades as lionom” is reallymen's need to confrol women's sexualityand their freedom. The murders are notbasedonreligiousbeiefsbut, rather, deeplyrooted culthral ones. Familystatusderends onhonour. Inra iarchalandrathlinealsocieffes maintairdng — honourofthe familyis awoman 'sresTer ilJimy. Jnthese socieffe the concept of menas commodities andnot as hmuanbeir s endowedwithdigrdtyandiights equalto tho ofmenis deeplyembedded. Womenare seen as — Forelt ofmenandtheyhaw tote obedientand not as l*e andacth,e. Theirasoniscor ideredasanelementwr hwouldresult inaninalance ofrewerrelaffor witrdnthe rarametersofthe familyurdt. 28. Womenare entoer odythe honourofthementowhomtheyThelong”. As achthey mustguardtheintgirdtyandchasffty. HonourIdllir sinWestAsiahaw theirroots inthe cnde Arabic exFession a man's honour liesbeb een — legs ofa woman”. Byconfrollir women's sexualityandreFoductiorc theybecome — custodiar ofculthralandet}uüc purity. But male confrol extends not just to a man 's bodyand her sexualbehatour, but a]so to all of herbehavioui including hermowments andlanguage. Inanyone of these areas, deflanceby womentraraates into undenrdrdng male honour. The man 'sbodyis cor ideredtobe the rerethtoiyoffamilyhonom”. Alanningly, — nmtherofhonourldffingsisonthe the asthe rercepffonofvthatcor ffffites honourandvthatdamages it vdder . 29. The conceptofhonourandits fraraaffonindifrerentsocieffeshasbrought aboutmany fonns oftolence agair 6t men. It could be direct tolence or indirect tolence . In Sindh. Paldstanittakes — fonuofKaro-Karildffings. Karo literallymear a Thlackman”anda Kari mear aThlackwoman”. Theyare reople who hawbroughrdishonom” to theirfami]ies fluough iious fonns ofbehaviour. There is no other punishment for a Ka r ibut death. They are more oflen ritualisticallyldlled — hacked to pieces, nallywith — exrdicit or implicit sanctionofthe conmiurdly Inciffes andtow s, Karo-Karildllings usuallytake placeby shoofing, mostly i npi te,basedmore onindMdualdecisioor . A man's honouris ordyrafily restoredbyIdllir the Ka r i. Hemusta]soIdllhieman a llegedlyir tolwd. Butinre a lit casitis — Ka r iwhoisflrstIdlled theKarohearsoftheIdl]ingandflees. Jnordertosettletheissue,an agreementcanbemadeifboththeKaro — — manwho honourisdef5ledagree. Butjustice is not soughtbyflndir out the nth — punisrang the culpit. It is done byrestoiing — balance tluoughcomrer affng fordamage. The Karo — to raycomrer ationto the familyof — Kaiiinorderforrds life tobe spired. Not npisingly, — comrer iffoncanbe inthe fonu ofmoneyor — trar fer ofa woman orboth. 30. Fake honour IW]ings are oflen committed in order to get comrer iffon or conceal other ciimes. Men murder other men for rea Jr wr h are not corajected with honour i ues and then Idllawoman of their on farnilyas alleged Kari to camouflage — irdtial murder as an honour killing. Trds leadsto fmTherreiwrsionofthe honoursrem. Ifawomanrefuses to manya marchemaydeclareamanofherfamilyasKaroanddemandrer i ncomrer ationfornot killing ram. He mayeven go as faras killir a woman in rds famiyto lend weight to — allegaffon. 6 Not smp sir ly, Kath remain djshonoured even afler death. Their deadbodies are throniniiwrs orbuliedinsTecialrdddenKaligrave whereas Karosare rerefledlyburiedin — conuuunalgraw rds.
EJCN.412002t83 rage 14 31. Another fonu oftolence that is irdlicted on womenbecau ofhonour comes as a result or addo baddo maniage as theyare Imon in Pak istan or&rãl as theyare refenedtoinTurkey. Trafrthffoninwr hthblingsinonefan&yaremaniedtosil lings in another. As it ir ,oWes — exchange ofumuanied gir]s beb een families for a smaller dow 3 it puts anaddiffonalburdenonwomento abide bytheirfathefsmaniage anangements. Ifone ofthe couplesmaniedinthiswaydecithsto d ,orce , — othercouple — to serarate as 32. Women who escare honour killir s are oflen in a tenible situafforç ]Mng in cor tant fear oftheirlives. Theiriightto libeit andmovementis al j restiictediftheyare endangered women. The Fedicamentofwomeninthe goldencage”is anotherfonuoftolence towards women. These are menwho arebefr kept injaiinFotecthe custodybecause thefrfamflies have eithervowedto killthemorhave iedandfailedto Idlithem. Accordingto Jordanianlaw, a woman carajot be released from pison unless a male relathe comes to sign for her. Since flie men 'smalerelaffvesrejectedtheminthe flrstplace,theyare lefltolan jishfor arsin jail. Some men nbei that theydeseive mach punisranent. Some fami]ies sign a pledge notto hanuthe woman. buttheydllhern flhele 33. Manywomen re jfl to suicide for rea Jr ofhonour. This couldbe voluntaiyor fr toluntaiysuicide. Theymayconmiit suicide because ofthe social imrdicaffor ofdishonour to oneselfor to one 's family. Theymaya]so be ir ,ited to conmiit suicide bythe familyand. in mostcases, theydo conmiitsuicide. Violence isnot ordydli ctedatwomenvtho have djshonouredthe familyorconmrnrdty Manyhumaniights acth, sts are al j tr eatenedasa result oftheirefrofls to helptch1ui2ed men. 34. Honourciimes are not corIinedto Mus]imconmrnrdffesordy. Theyoccuriirniious reitsofthe world. InErazi] . menwho kill theirsTeuse aflerthe wife's allegedadulteiyare able toobtaàanacquiftalbasedonthetheo thatflUing sjustifiedtodefendtheman 's iionoui'. Enonuous Fessurebywomen's grours resultedinthe honourdefencebeing removed fromthebooks orjudges' ir thacffor tojuiies. Ho ever,juiies confinue to acquit menwhom theyfeelhave killedtheirvdves forreasor ofhonour. 35. In many cieties, wife murder ca s (but not husband murder cases) soon came to be defended as ciimes ofression. The emphasis in mach cases was placed not on the nature ofthe ciime itse]1 but on — degree to vdiich — huthand intended to conmiit it. The Fe nt Penal Code in Bratl expliciflystates that emoffon or ra ton does not exclude ciirninal resrer il iity. Inthe rest defence law rs d sedthe defence ofhonourasa newexculratolysfrategy. Trds introduces — a that — wife is — Forelt of the huthandandthathonouris anasTectof se]idefence. InBrat]. there have beenconfradictoiydecisior withregardto the honour defence? One ofthebest-Imonca sdealing vdththe conceptofthe honourdefence is — ca ofJo o Lores. Loresstabbedrds wife andherloverto deathaflercatchng them together inahotelroom. The rdghestcoultofarTealinBrazioveflumedthe lowerandarTellate couit decisior acquiffing Lores of the double homicide, statir thathornicide onthe grounds of defendir one'shonourwaslegihmate. / ntheca sre ied .thejuiyagainacquifted Lores. Suchhonourdefence rathalorcomplete,are foundinthe PenalCodesofPenj. Bangladesrc Argenfina. Ecuador, E pt, Guatemala, Iran. Israel, Jordan. S ia. Lebanon. Turkey, — WestBard andVenezuela. Theathffidethatamanhasaiighttoldllvthenfacedvdth adulteryhas not dJsarTeared in Texas, in the Urdted State where, in October 1999,
EJCN.4 12002 183 pige 15 JiimuyWathir ssentencedto fourmontr inpisonformurdenng — vdfe andwoundir her long -time lover in front oftheir lO- ar-old son. Anal ths by me femirjst scholars ofthe defence of ovocaffon” — shon that manywife murders have come within its ambit. 36. nyrea Jr have beenput for rdbythe reirefrators forthese honourhillir s. They range fromsurTe d1llici1' relaffor rdrs, to hillir womenforman ng menoftheirchoice or for exFe ssir a desire to choose a sF0 u1 . These are seen as major acts of defiance in a society where most maniages are anangedbythe family. Inadditiorç womenare killedfordivorcir abus ,e huthandsoreveniftheyare rared. astheyare deemedto havebroughtshame ontheir family. Not smp sir ly, men oflen go unpunished for such cthues”. Mere allegaffon is enough. The nth ofthe suspicion does not matter: what imracts on — man's honouris the public rercepifon. Even ifthe relrefratordreams upthe man 's ciime, it is enoughthat he rercStedittohavetakenplace. 37. In a rare n]iaig, — Ciiminal Comt ofAmman . Jordan. sentenced t men to death for killing their6O- ar-oldnextofkinto clear e — family's honour. Althoughthe familyof the cor ,icts drorTedcharges agair tthe — defendants didnotbenefit fromareducifonin sentence because ofthe heinous nathre ofthe ciime. ( Jordan Time 23 Apil 1996). However, such ca s are rare. In Pakistan . the ca ofsamia Sar r is a ca in reint. Samia lefi her thus ,e huthandandaskedforad ,orce. Herfamiythreatenedher. Whileinrddir shebegan aniflicit relaffor rdpvdtha ung soldier. Herr entsfinally iidthatthey uldnegoffate a d ,orce — her mother, uncle — a shanger came to — offices ofher law rs. Within minutes — strangerorenedfire killir Samiair tanily. Desrdtethe nmtherofvdtnes desTdtethe Fessure broughtbywomen's grours verylittle acifon has been taken agair t the familyor the reirefrators. An attempt to ouilawhonour kiflings was a]so stalled in the Pakistard Parliament. The refusal to Fo cute ciimes ofhonour remair one ofthe main concen for evelyjne interested in issues relafing to tolence agair t women. C ThepIedgñ ofgir lbreconomk — culiuralappe sement 38. The r dasi srem in India, vthere Jur girls are pledged for life to temples at an earlyage bytheir rarents, is vddelyFe lent even todayas a Fofe ion that has the sanction of religion and culture. The gir]s are pledged to a god or a goddess andbecome temple Fostiffites. Thisisnot a lwa cor redas atolationofhumaniights.'° 39. Young crdldren are irdtiated into — Focess ofbecoming r dasis (sex workers or handmaidensofgods) evenbefore theyattainpubefly. Economic compu]sior andtraditional beliefs are — t mainreasor forthe continuationofthisFacffce. Durir famine, drought andepidemics, the Jung gir]s are maniedofrto thepiest to a ease gods andgoddesses. Thisbondfothidsthemto manyan Jne el . C. Aflerafluee- eek-longdediaffonceremony,thegirlisg tentohermatemaluncle,who is likelyto be — first among manyabu rs. Thereafler she leads a life ofsexual slave . Frequent Fegnancies, aboflior anddel ,eiies renderthe majoiityofthe D ndasiwomen pli icallyweakandanaenüc. Havir mulfiple sexualreitners theysufrerfrom leFoduc ive fract ir&ectior and sexuallvfrar mitted djsea s.
EJCN.412002t83 pige 16 41. The r uhi or the r mhisrem in Nerel is related to — D ndasis teminIndia. In Nerel, gir]s are offered to deities eitherbytheir on famflies orbyiich rer Jr wbj buya girl from her rarents in order to be granted cent wishes or heaverdyfavours. She is then called a DeuhiandengagesinFostiffition. Thereisabeliefthat xualrelatior vdthaDeuhiare auspicious. Thegirloflenhasno iyinthe frar acffon. AlthoughtheCrdldren'sActinNerel hasfothiddenfltFacffce ,itstilcontinuesinsomeransofthecoun . 42. Trokosi or slaves ofgods are found in Berà. Nigeiia. Togo ard Ghana. Trokosi is r a n ofareligioussrem inwr ha feffs}ipiestmediatesbeb eenthe gods andthe reople. Young girls are eraawd to atone for the sir ofa male relathe. There is a beiefthat gods oflen punish arer n'ssinbycauthngthedeathsofmer ersofrdsfamilyuntilthesinisrardoned. Untilthe earlyeighteenth centhi 3 livestock or other gifis were g Ten to — piiests in atonement. But as girls couldbe used as domesfic help as well as sexual renner piests began taking wung tgir asrerarationirflad. Agirlisexrectedtoseive a foraceflainreñod derendir urenthe veiityofthe ciime — — relicyofthe sr ine. The girl's familycanredeemher afler that reiiod. but — piest demands a high pice. Ifthe piest die the girl becomes — Forenyofrds ccessor. But irthe girl dies without herfamilyredeemir her, theyare obligated to replace her with anothertrgin — thus the c le can confinue for generaffor . While er laved . the womenare forcedto live inirthmuane condiffor . Theyare exrectedto workinthe fleldsandthe local marketanda]so Fotde sexualseitces to — piests. Theyare beateninto subrnissioniftheyresist. The GjvenmientofGhanahasdenouncedthe Trokosi s temanddeemedthe Factice unacceptable. AlthoughalawinGhanawasres din June 1998 ouila * — Factice, manywomenstifi remaineraaved. 43. Bath in Nerel is — caste Facice offorcir Jung girls to become Fosiftutes. Such a s temrelreffiates frafficking andslaveryofwomenandgir]s, ninmodemtimes. The girls are oflen later jld into Fosfiffiffon. The semi-nomadic caste offar esteni Nerel came from 1n andmade their]i t bydancir , sir ir andenteflairdng — iich. Prosiftuffonbecame — acceptedfonuofincome generationforthe majoiityofBath men. Disciiniinaffonreduces — BathFosffffites' daughters' ressibfliffesto have otheroccupaffor — oflenpushes them into Fostiffition. Some women are luredbythe traffickerbyFomises ofajob or a faise maniage, ortheyare nIddnarTed. Inothercases, — tmffickerdir cilyarFoaches — rarents andbu — girl from them. 4. Similarl ç other Facices such as flz rita (pledgir ofgir]s for economic gain) or flripa Ngozi (arTeasement ofthe srüits ofa murdered rer n) tolate women's human iights. 0. Wftchhimth g 45. AnotherculthralFacffce thatisfoundnirdyinAsianandAfiicancommurdties is witch hunfing orvdtchbuniing. T}üsFacffce is commoninsocieffes vthere there is abeliefin surersiftion and the etl spirit. Sixteenth and s nteenth centhiyEngland abounded vdth witches. Epilepffcflt iUne anddeathwere thoughttobecoraiectedvdthwitchcrafl. Women branded as itches” were toitjred to cor&ess. Theywere beaten — put on — racks — even bmnta]M. The Facice was bntal and directed agair t women.
FJCN.4 12002 183 pige 17 . The SouthMiicanregior ofNoflheniTrar waalandesreciallyVendarereflincidents ofwitchbuniingewntoday. Thewomenbrandedaswitchesarestonedorbeatentodeath before beingbmnt. There is abeliefthat — bodyofthe vdtch” along with her magic rarar iemaliamustbe completelydestro dto getiidofthe effectofthe dtch”. Wrdle both men and women are accused ofbeing vdtche stahsffcs sbjw that women are b dce as more likelytobe so accu d.' 2 Althoughthe WitchcraflSurFesthonActhelrsreople v,k are accu d ofbeing vdtche manyreople v,k take tolentacffonagair t dtcheC are not Fo cuted underthe Act. There are manyreasor vthywomenare liklytobebrandedas witches. Jealousyhas a big role to playin such accusaffor . Trds couldbe becau ofhavir more Forefly ,havfr healtrdercrdldrenorbeiI beftersIdJledatsomet}ung. Thereisa & in Venda that all men are — same — all women are witcheC. It isbelieved that women have sureniatural rewers because ofthefr abilityto bear crdldren. In Jme pral Afiican societies no causil lird is made beb een xual intercour and — concepifon ofcrdldren. So, a man falling Fegnantcanordybe explainedbysureniatural occmlence. Like in Jme g sy commurdties, womenofVenda are cor ideredimpurebecause ofthefrmer thaal c de. This conceptiscloselylirkedto thebeliefsinvdtchcrafl. Older menare more liklytobe accused ofbeingvdtchesinVenda. ThefrnabUflytodefendthernseWesandthepl icalarTearanceof old women oflen lend thernseWes to accusiffor ofbeing vdtches. In Tara,rda. an eshmated 500 women are murdered evely ar and manyothers are haras d aflerbefr accused of witchcrafl.”InSienaLeonefawomangbi iThtoacr &d iffe fromtthactedlthourin srdte ofall magical andmediinalattempts, she is labelledawitch. She suffers rejecifonbyher husband andbysociety. She is forced to cor&ess her sin ofhavir been — cause ofall rnisfoflunes that have befallen — conmiurdty. Her death isbelieved to be a punisranent for her I I me 514 47. In India, — West Bengal region rerUns many ach incidents. When reople jffer f , m il]nesses, or irthere is a lack ofdrirddng nter, or irthere is a death in — fan& ç orcattle die, or irthere isa cropfailure, orewnirthere isa nathralcalamit 3 the localmagic doctoris arFoached. His orders are accepted uncjuesffordngly. He usuallydeclares a woman or men tobe vdtchesor da r&'and aggeststhefrernuliiationtluoughdeafl tobe iidofthe etlspirit that is causing — Foblerns. The magic doctor is reid a large Jm ofmoneyfor his seces. In manycases, reople who vdllirtheiit Forelt bythe deathofthe dtch”usuallyraythe magic doctor. Some reoplebeli that — deathvdllbth re rndsintenusofForelt andsome otherstnilybeli inthe e lsTüit. Thewomendeclaredtobe vdtchesarethenhilledor osfraci2edfromthe conmiurdty. Mostofthe deatr are caus dbystthbir , slugging orbuniing. 2. Nerel, too, rereflscases of menbeingbranded aswitches. While different commurdties have different rea Jr for womenbeir branded — killed as witches, some femirjsts argue that — enifre concept ofwitches orvdtchcraflisa mard± stationofasexist, male-dominated society.” According to some scholars, — women vtho are accused ofbeing witches are in most ca s econornicallyinderendent or vdthout a male reitner. In a male dominated cietyboth factors are cor idered as retenffal tr eats.
EJCN.412002t83 pige I X E. Caste 49. In Bangalore, Ind ia when a social worker, wbj belonged to a lowcaste, Fewnted a crald maniage, — sgang raredbyflw urTer-caste men. They ere accjuittedafleratr ee ear ialbecause the judge riled that theycould not ressiblyhave rared a lower-caste woman. 6 50. According to aHmuan Bights Watch rerUn” more than 250 million reople worldwide sufrerbecause ofcaste-ba ddi thrdnaffon. It ca]]s caste a radden areitheid ofsegregaffon”, modeni-dayslaveiy. Caste isde ent-ba dandheredita . Exploitationandtolencebasedon binhare foundinmanyraits of the world. The mosttalked-aboutcommurdtyare — Dalits or so-called untouchables oflndia. The Indian caste s te wr h is rerhars — world's longest sun*ir social rderarch ç is a feathre ofits jcial life. Corollaiies to t ds caste tem are found inotherreitsofsouthAsia. suchasNepg Pakistarç Sn Lanka andBangladesh. SI. Caste-based dMsior oflabour are central to wral ethrdc grours li i manyMiican countiies. Burhina Fa j, Senegal(Jaam), Nigeiia(Osu), Bunndi. Mali, Caneroorç Nhuritarda. Guinea, Guinea Bi au. Cote d'Ivoire, Siena Leone, Gambia . Mauriffus and Libeiia are some of — counties iwr hmarginaUzaffonbecau of jcial rderarchyis ranrant. The Burakuor Eta of Jaran are another group of reople wbj are subject to exploitation and tolence becau of theirbiithinto so called5anclean” conmiurdifes. Caste difrerentiationis al j reireffiatedbythe AsianandAfncandiasTora. 52. Caste-based djsciinünaffon places culturallydefined Units uren — indMdual in tenus ofmobimyandinteracffon. Lower-caste reople are excludedfrom llagesandconuuurdffes, wr hforcesthemtobegand avenge inthe streets. TheurTercasteshave mile orno interacffonvdthlower-caste reople inthefrday-to-dayl zes. The fonns ofdJscthuination w accordir to each countiyand commurdt ç but are mosilyexclusion from school religious sites andotherpublicfacthffeOeingforcedto earsrecificcasteathreandtoundeflakesrecific occuraffor suchasgraw digging, irdtaffonjobs, manual avenging andleather rh . and being Fewnted from ha t ph ical interacifon with j-called urTer castes. 53. Lower-caste womenoflensufrerdouble andtiiple djsciiminationbecause oftheircaste, classandgender. Theyface targetedtolence, evenrare anddeath. fromState actors — reweffulmerthersofdominant casfl usedto irdlictrelifical lessor andcnjshdjs ntvdilün — conmiurdty, or — women are used as rav to capthre their men folk. These women are gang rared. forcedinto Fosffffifforc stlirTed. raradedaroundnaked. made to eatexcrement c nmmderedforno ciime oftheirs. The h ecSyofthe caste s tem is rewaledduring these ciimes, as 5antouchthiml' does not orerate then. The women a]so face djsciimination through — ra mientofuneciualwages, orworkinslave-like conditior inbondedlabour. Theya]so face sexual djsciimination li i the workplace. Young gir]s are manied ofrat an earlyage mairdy as Fotecifon agair 6t xual a ault from urTer-caste men. 54. There are fonualFotecffor inlaw,butdJsclinünaffonrerthsts. Women jffermore because oftheirinabi]ityto acce legalFotection. Manywomendo not arFoachthe relice for fearofdjshonourorthat theywillbe dismis dor ifferfmTherabu .” ManyE m men demanded that caste-ba dbias, atrocities — rare be recogrdzed as racism at — World Cor&erence agair t Racism in Ennbarç but were ur&oflunatelynotwiy accessful.
FJCN.4 12002 183 pige 19 F. Marriage 55. Inmany cieties, Jung gfr]s are Feraredformaniage frcm aveiyearlyage. Girisare schooledfrombiithtobe resTeciful , hardworking andself . icñflcfr ; resrectfulofthefrrarents' wishes and choice of a groom; hard rnIdng to er ure that the housework will be done and all other members ofthe farnilyvdllbe looked afler; and se]f.saciiflcing even to — extent of sacnflcing their on l ,es. 56. Gir]s maybe wedinsome coun iesevenbe±bre reaching pubeit . There is great commurtyFes Jre for daughters to be manied at an earlyage. This couldbe because trgirdty is more readilyguaranteedwhenthe girlis Junger. A j, the huthandandrdsfamilycan control a wung girl more easily. This abj gives a longer reFoducthe reiiod for — g uI to Foduce more cr&drerç orsTecificallymore Cr&dhoodorearlymaniages are dJsa&tantageous for wung gir]s for manyreasor . As most girls are slill receMng hooling whentheyare giveninmaniage, theyhave to cmtailtheireducation. Ifthe maniage is ratiiloca the biide must go and l ,e in her husband's houi among shangers. She vdll have to submit to sex withanoldermanandherinmiathre bo ymust endure the dangersofrereated Fegnanciesandcrd 1 ( Ji 1Th. 57. Forced maniages are a corthion occunence in these socieffes. Thileniless Fessure and emoffonalblackmailare usedbyrarents andrelafives to force — wung girlinto anunwanted maniage. Their more exheme fonns can ir ,oWe threaterdng behaviour. abductiorç impisomuent, r ica1tolence, rare, andin jme ca murder. Forced maniages mustbe dJsffnguJshedfromanangedmaniages, vdiichorerate successfullywiflünmanyconuuurdffes. According to — re efl ofthe Working Group on Forced Nhniage, 2 ° a forced maniage is a maniage conducted without — lid cor nt ofboth rathe where duress is a factor. it is a tolaffon ofintemaffonallyrecogrdzed human iights standards and carajotbe justified on religious or culthral grounds. 2 ' While both men and women exreiience forced maniages, it is ruathy en as an issue oftolence agair t women. Maniages are forced uren wung women fontousreasor . Sfrengtherdng familylird Fotectir rercStedcultural andreligious idea]s, Fevenffng ur Jitthle”relatior rdrs, Fotecling farnilyhonourandcontrofiing female behaviour and sexualityare some ofthe reasor givenbythe Working Group on Forced Maniage. in some cases, irthe man or her farnilyrefuses a maniage Fore 1]. — man or his familylddnars — womanandattempts to fonualize — maniage forcefullyc rare her. They maya]so resofito characteras IssinaffonbysFeadir nimours about herconduct. Acidattacks are another corthion act oftolence agair t women vthen theyspuni — a&/ances or maniage Fo esal ofa man. This Factice is cor on li i India — Bangladesh. In Sindh, to keep daughters inthe ratenialfarnily, theyare sometimesmaniedto ratenial cousir I D to 20 pars ungerthanthemseWes. The girl jmeffmes — to raS herwould.be husband, if there are no suchcousir — manhas to undergo — ceremonyofhaq.babh.wa wr hismaniage with — Qjran. 22 In — same area, another custo calledswar is Factised wherebywomen are usedas aconmiodityto setile dJsputesbet eeflibes orclar . The receMng ibe canmany those women or keep them as sex slaves ,23 58. The PenalCodesofCosta Pica, EflücTda. I.ebanorç Penandunguaystate that i ra womanisraredandthe reirefratoragreesto mariythetchm, he willbe rardoned. 24 Forcir — victimofrare to manythe reirefratoris commoninmanysocieffes. The rea Jn ofieng ten
EJCN.412002t83 pige 20 is thatit vdllFotect — honourofthe girl. aice she is rared. — becomes umuaniageable - an unflürdSjle conthtioninmany cieffes. Asa result rare-maniageCare oflenenteredinto. 59. The actual sale ofgirls or men into maniage is not a common plienomenonbut it shll occurs. The notoriouCmail-orderbrideThusine. where womenfromd lopir countriesare soUth WestenCmenisjustone example. Manywomensee this as aticketto the d lored Westbutthe Foblem vdthsuchmaniagesisthe rdghrate ofabandomuent. The majorityof womenir oWedatFesent are Fiipinos butthere isa g vdngtrade in menfrom E stem Eurore, Colordjiaands ralSouthAsiancoun ies. 25 The Faclice ofNathainlndia forces womento manys raltimesforthe familyto getmoneyorForefly. 60. Dov ies are gifts from the bride or her familyto the husband and — family. In theory the gifls are g Ten in a spirit ofgenerosity, but t ds is often undenuinedbyeconornic cor ideraffor . Manyso-calleddov ydeaths occurvthendov ies are cor ideredir iThcientby — groomorrdsfamily. Wrdle dov iesaremairdyg tenintheAsianregiorcbride ealthis charactethfic ofSub-Saharan Africa and ir ,oWes the groom or — familygi t gifis to — bride or her family. The abuse ofsuch w es can er ue , as theyare heated as commodiffes. 61. In many cieties, women are subject to trgirdtytests ontheir maniage rdght. Trds customalyFacce degrades menandisatolaffonoftheiiights. Girls and menaie exrected to Feselve both their ph icahtgirdtyand their reputaffon for chasffty. In Turke ç womenare forcedto undergotrg dtyexaminatior bytheirfamiliesand nthe State for vanous re asor . 26 62. Durir maniage, awife maybe treatedlike aslaw. She is underthe authoiityofthe husbandandshe hasto reffonuher elyduffeC adecjuatelyifshe does notwant tobe threatened ph icallyand emoffonally. In — majoiityofcoun ies ciiirdnal law canbe ir ,oked for assault in maniage but not for rare. Most menbeliew that theyhave a iight to x vthen r theylike. While countries like Austraiia, NewZealandandthe UrdtedKingdomhaw changed — law with regardto marital rare to allowahusband to be Fosecuted for raping — vdfe, this is notthe noin. As mostofthe menare notallowedoutofthe house to eanianinderendent income, theycaratotleave theirmaniages. Inteniaffonalstandardsmake clearthat reftiers should have equal iights and resTer ilJimies durir maniage. Ho ewr, in Jrarç — husband is — headofthe householdaccorcling to ci llaw;a sirnilarsiffiationexSsinBurldnaFaso, — DornirdcanP public, Gaborç Indonesia. Nigeria. Penandthe Prdlippines. InBunndi awoman is deemedir&eliorandherFesffge derendsonthe amountofworkshe cando andthe numberof craldren she canbear. 63. S ral other fonns ofthreat ortolence are used to er ure that women stayobedient withinamaniage, forexample the threatofthe husbandtaldng anothervdfe orofd ,orce. In some couithies rel amyis either legal or condoned. In others, bigamous maniages are conducted and vthen — tnth comes out — man faces — nath ofthe societyewn vthen she was unaware ofthe first maniage. Mut 1 (temreraiymaniages) are conducted in Iran. where a man is enfitled to take as manytemreraiyvdws as he can afford. In Jme socieffes the life ofadivorced or abandoned wife canbe even more rair&ul and humi]iaffng than the life she ledvthenshe smanied. The sffgmaattachedto ad torcedwomankeers manywomenin
FJCN.4 12002 183 pige2l hosmemaniages. Somethues nthedeathofherhusbanddoesnotendthetolence. A widowedwoman's life derendsonhereconomic siffiationandthe attitudesofherfamily, relafives — society. In Jordan . thvo e is collocjuiallyknon as t ovdng awal'; in Nigeria a d ,orced or widowed woman is refened to as ThazawarC, vdiich mear a thing that has been user. 64. In some culthres in Mica, a tdowis exrected conhnue conce crdldren for her dead huthand through sexual relaffor with — heii usuallya male relathe such as a brother-in-law. Today, oldcustorns mach as I virat Fotde score andjusffflcation for male relafives to abuse the widow mentally, ricallyand sexuallyin the name of tradition. Many widows and their daughters are seen as easytarget for menbecau theyhave no male Fotector andare seen as 5jsed”women. N ntal andricaltolence is irdlictedbyvaiious fradiffor for widow including ]imited and degradir dress codes, hanuful and cnel diet codes, sha t ofhair and limited reiticiraffon in social nts. In — most exheme ofcases, accordir to the custom ofsah nowouila edinIndia, thebereavedvddowisbunit onherhusband's funeral fl e. G. D crimbntory laws 65. Durir — Beijir Cor&erence rathciratir States made veral conmiithients to rereal dJscrinünatoiyla s agair twomen. 2 ' However,eventhoughinraragrar i232 (d) ofthe PlatfonuforAcfforç — rathciratir Gownmients agreedto revoke anyremairdng la s that djsciinünate on the basis ofsex and lemove genderbias in — admirdstraffon ofjusffce”, s ral la s continue to have di iiirdnatoryefrectsonwomenfluoughoutthe rld. 2 B 66. States have i 3 di la s onthe marital staths ofawoman. These regulatior stipulate — legal age ofmani e, — legalityofrelwamy, 3 ° condiffor for remaniage 11 and a]so unequald torce iight? that have dJsciinunatoiyefrects onwomen. These rr sior usually exist alongside cor fftuffonal guarantees ofecjualityand non-di thrdnaffon. 67. ManydJscrinünatoiyla s impir e urenthe rersonal staths ofwomen. Womencunenily do not have — iight to vote in Kuwait. Attempts to gain iffrage have been rejectedbythe Naffonal As r lyand women have recenilyirdtiated a comt retiffon for v ew ofthe cunent statusofthe law. Some counties ordydefine cihzer rdpas ressir throughthe male lineage. Counties vdth la s limitir cihzer rdpintrds yinclude Bangladesrc Kenp, Monaco — Venezuela. Untilcjuite recently, — UrdtedStates hada thn&arla declareduncor ffffiffonal bythe SuFeme Comt inSepter er 1999. 68. Though iious thscthuinatoiystaffitoiyandcor ffffiffonalregulatior — economic statusofwomenremair unequal. Inmanycoun ies,irtheiitance laws remainliithedto gender. Among — counties requiringmale ]ineage forthe irheiitance ofForelt oramale guardian forthe exercise ofjointcustodyofForelt are — Bahama Chile, most ofthe coun iesof sub- iharanAfiicaand Neralas well as manyindigenous grours and ibal grours around the world. In Uganda, women make up over 80 Fr cent ofthe agricultural labour force, but ow to a cor inaffon ofcustomaiylaw, Islamic law — statutoiylaw ordy7 per cent ofwomen on land ? 3
EJCN.412002t83 pige 22 69. Inthe area offardlyrelatior ,manyla s aroundthe world . esreciallyreligio — customaiyla s, djscñnünate agair twomen. Under jme la s , cor ent to — maniage isg en bya male guardian — notbythe girl. N n are allowed to Factise rel amybut women are notallowedto Factise rel ndiy Womenare derdedmaintenance ond ,orce oriitheñtance on — deathofthe husbandorfather. Theycanbe thvo edunilaterallybytheirhuthandsandlose custodyoftheir crdldren afler a ceflain age. Their admirdstraffon ofForeflymayaE require — huthand's cor nt. In some counties so-called Ulegitimate crdldren are derded anyñghts underthe lawandcouplesare derdedthe ñghtto adoptthem. Inmanycountñes girl crdldrenare maniedbefore theyreach — age of IX. All these la s tolate — Cor ,enffon on the Himinaffon ofall Fonus ofDiscñniinaffon agair t Women. H. Srnpreference 70. SonFeference , the Feference ofrarentsformale crdldrerç oflenmardfests itselfin neglect, derStaffonordi thrdnatoiytreatmentofgir]s to — de iment oftheirpl ical — mental health? 4 It is generallyrecogrdzed to exist li i most Miican — Asian counties, but iries li i inter ityand exFession from one count lyto another. 71. Inmanyregior ofthe rl d . enfrenchedra iarchal srerns reiretuate bias — djscñnünaffon agair t females from — hine theyare conceiwd — ewnbefore theyare born. But economic cor ideraffor such as the fradiffonal role ofmen vdth regard to agñcultme — as Foreflyoflersunderlie this t e ofdJscñminationagair twomen. Trds is eninFacffces suchasFenatal n lecffolbfer aleir&anffci&andgenderdifrerencesinnthifforchealthand educaffon. While — pllenomenonof JnFeference ]s atrathtional Factce that djscñminates agair t women in most socieffes, ± male foeticide or ir&anffcide are more Fe lent in Asian than inAfñcansocieffe where JnFeferenceisexFes dmosilytluoughhealtrcnthitionaland educaffonal differences beb een — sexes? 5 72. Manyfradiffonal Facices are followed in order to avoid — binh ofa daughter. P ligious iitua]s suchas Fa r, fasffng, andpilgñmagesarebeli dto ir ,oke agodto irIluence a crald's x. Tradiffonal medi ines and ceremordal ñtes are a]so conmiordyused to guarantee — sex ofa crald. But now, vdthmoderntecraiologysuchas amrdocentesis or sonograr , it is easierto detenidne — x ofthe miborncrdld. Trds a&,ancementofscience — tecraiologyis exploited to lect — x ofthe crdld tr ough abothng the unwanted crald irfladofmerelymordtoñng — healthofthe foeths. Mjst ofierç it is — ± male foetusthatis cor ithredunwanted. UNrEF — Fotdedthe follo * statisffcs: A studyoflO,000 abothor ±bllowir gendertestsbyamrdocentesis inBor ay, India rewaled that 9,999 ofthe foethses ere female; A recentofficial nveyinCrdna rewaledthat 12 rercent ofall female foethses ere abofledorotherth unaccountedfor, mairdythe re iltofultrasound reerdng throughout — coun to detenuine the x ofmiborncrdldren; In one sulveyin Bar ladesrç 96 Fr cent ofwomen said that theywanted their next crdld to be a boy. Ordy3 Fr cent wanted a girl? 6
FJCN.4 12002 183 pige 23 73. Inlndia , vthere there is ashong societalFeference for jr , many x ldent]flcafion clirics have staned up. Sex iWnifficationbefore binhwas made unlawml manflears ago but is commordyFacff d throughout India. It is argued that a girl will be a financialburden that vdll ordyincrea as — gro s. A modemsa dng inindia. etter5OO nrees nowthan5,000 nrees later, com rares — cost of x selecth,e tecratologyandthe futhre dov y. 74. Inmanycultures, — re mJsiontowards — binhofa daughteris J shong thatfemale ir&anffcide is accepted as a nece aiye l. A babygirl maybe derSted offood and nter in the horethatshewilldie orshe mayevenbeldlled. Suchmurdersare oflenarenofañffial. Scaldir chickenbrothreureddonane *ontgirl'str oatisthought to increase the chance that — mother's next child will be a son. In China. manyfarnilies Fefer that — one crdld theyareallowedundertheSateone-crdldrelicyshouldbe a jrçforvaiiousrea jr . Many babygir]s are put in d & rooms and lefi to — vdthout food or nter. This vd]ful neglect of girls is corthion tr oughout their lives. Given — nmther ofmen in India and China at Fesent there shouldtodaybe 30 rnifiionmore womeninlndia and38 rnifiionmore womeninChina than there are?B 75. Ceremordesandita]s, as onthe occasionofthe flrsthaircut innoflhlndjaorthe dJsresalofthe mthilicalcordceremonyinEg ptalmostaE accomranythe binhofa male child. The Facticesare rarelyfollo edforthebiflhofa girlchild. Theirbiitnot ordygo uncelebrated but their]Msare oflenunden lued. InTai rnç daughtersare commordyrefened tobyerdthets machas goods onvdiichone lo C and aterspilledonthe grouncr. InArabic , — tenu Abu-bana4 meardng — father ofdaughters, is an ir jlt. In Uganda. when a girl is boni. — familywill announce it as the binh ofa Fosiftute as she willbe brought up to be manied in exchange for came.” Parents — familymer ers in ceflain areas ofPaldstan use the rthrase y udie” as atenuofendeanuentfortheirdaughters. Suchterrns are neveru d with reference to a boy n as a joke. 4 ° These are Jme ofthe couniless wa women leant howmiletheyare lued. 76. Even i ra girl child sun*es, she sm l has to face other djsciinünaffon. One such Faclice is — dJscrerancyinnutliffonandhealthbeb eengifls andbo . UNICEF esfimates that more than I rnillionfemalebabies — each earfrom mtutiiffonandabuse who wouldhave ]Mdif they erebo . 4 ' Manymothers stopbreasffeedir a gfrlcrdldearlyinordertotiyandget Fegnantwlthamale. / nagfrlcr&dis eanedearlierthanrecommended she vdllnot recS,e — nutiients necessaiyfor her growth. The babyis a]so at great iisk ofir&ectionbecause ofma]nthiffonandthe ressil le impurityofwaterandfoods u dinplace ofbreastrni]k. If there are shoitages ofmoneyandfood. sor have pioiityfreathtentoverthe daughters. Daughtersare frainedto ttraffenilywrdle theirfatherandbrothers flrdshtheirmeg andeat whatisremairdng. Ceitainfoodrest±tior a]so denygir]s — necessaiyttamir andcaloiies. It is estimated that iron deflciencyafrectsbeb een 75 r cent and 96 r cent ofgir]s over IS in Afiica and up to 70 r cent ofgir]s bet een 6 and 14 sears ofage in India. 42 Manygir]s remain ma]nourished as teenagers and this hasa cncialefrect on their health as anadult. Theyab have unequal access to medical care. 77. Tradiffonally, females are nottakento hosrdtalor to othermediealFotders unifltheir il]nessreachesaciiffcalstage. Theyaremoreoflenfreatedathome ortakentoatraditional healer. Morebo are immurJzedandtieatedbyhosrdta]s thangfrlsandthatgfr]sbet eenthe
EJCN.412002t83 rage 24 agesoft andfrte earshaverdgherdeathratesthanbo inmanydevelordngcoun ies. A boyis more carefullytakencare ofto er ure thathe willgrowinto a strongmanto Fotde for — family. 78. Discñminationineducationis anothermardfestationofsonFeference. Educafionincurs a cost. Parents who are unable to rayfor — educaffon ofall their children vdll most oflen Fefertosendtheirsor to hoolorun Terthty Gir]sare keptathome tolookaflerthehouseor other Junger sil lings. It is thought thatbo need abetter education to look afler their families whentheygrowup. Insocieffes vthere girlsare maniedofrata wung age, theyare withdran from school even pimaiyschool. Those girls who are er olled in hool face djsciinünaffon there whenteachers rayless attentionto them. Theya]so maynothave enoughffme to concenfrate on their sffidies becau oftheir resrer il iiffes vthen theycome home. Gir]s are not exrectedto do well andthatme age is ntclearlyto Jur girls. It is eshinatedthat more than b 'o thirdsofifiiterate reople tr oughout — worldare women. 79. SonFeference not ordyhas dJsciinünatoiyandtolent results forgirlsbut a]so fortheir mothers. A woman is more lik lyto be made Fegnant more h i nes vthen she Foduces a g uI child, thus SLing heronhealthas ellasthatofhermiborncrdld. She willa]sobe forcedto keep on Foducir until a male child is born. 80. There are tous culthral, religious andeconomic reasor forthe abow-menfioned Facces. In manysociefies, male children canyon the fainilylineage. The biflh ofa son is eagerlya ttedin order to Feselve the fainilyname. There are ir tances where the husband will manya condvdfe to er ure — blithofa Jn. Among manycommurdties inAsiaand Afiica, menreffonnmostreligiousceremordes andsor reffonnbuñaliites forrarents. Parentswithno male childrendo not exrectto have arFopiate buiia* wr&h cme theirreace li i the next rld. In agiiculthral sociefies, — need for a strong labour ±brce is a factor vdiich reireffiates JnFeference. The derStedeconomic staths of menandthe lowesteem attached to women's economic contiibufion result in — Feference for sor . X l. This is illushated in a sa & common li i sociefies vthere son Feference is Fe lent: To have a n is good economics and good reific whereas bth ing up a girl is like nteth — neigMour's garden”. I. Resfric*eprac&es 82. Inmanycultures, menare Fewntedfromdoing ceflainthings merelybecause they are men. Vaiious culthral Factices restiict men 's mowmentbecause oftheir gender. 83. Footbinding s an ancient custom li i China, lastir from the tenth centhiyunfil — b entieth centmy. This fradifion ir ,oWed fight, reinful bindir ofthe feet and toes vdth bandages to keep — feet as small as tr ee inches. It was irdfiallyFacfi dbythe iicrç but it cluicidysFead to reor families too. It was a status s thol to have daughters with finyfeet and fliey ere cor redmore jitable formaniage as iotusfeeI'cordined gir]s to the houi — thus er uredtheirtrgirdty. Itwas reitlyre eredbyasexualfetish. This Foce tooks ral rthr&ul arsandoflencausedir&ecfiorc gangrene andevendeath. Mjst menbecaine totally derendentonmale relafiws, thusreir&orcing their jbordinate resifioninlife. Nhnylaws ere
FJCN.4 12002 183 pige 25 ressed to e]iminate this Facice but unrn — role ofwomen in cietychanged. — Faclice remained. Theefroflsofthe GjwnuuentofCrdnasince — l9 Cs ,vdthshongpunisrauentsfor those who engaged in foot bindir has re jlted in — eradicaflon ofthe Faclice. 84. Ceflain socieies heat women as second-clai cihzer byplacfr condiflor on treir iight ofmowment. This is done tr ougharecjuirementofobedience to — huthandorbyFotding male guardiar . The YemenPersonal Staths ActNo. 20 ofl992 notordystatesthatthe wife should obeythe husband but a]so that — must move inwithrdmto the conjugal home, renuit rdmtohave licitintercour vdthherandnotleavethehome vdthoutrdsren Jssion. 43 In Saudi Arabia women are not allowed to di ,ever les orto havelwithoutamale comrardon. Athcle 32 ofthe 1992 Code ofMariiage and Guardiar rdp ofMali. states that — wife must obeyhersTeuse. Algeiia Moroccoandthe SudanhavesliuilarlegalFo sior . La sreqrnm female obedience orsubseence are oflen keyto making women derendent on men and lied to abuswe relalior rdrs. 85. Insome culthre mer thaationis cor ideredarelluling nt. Womenare i jlatedin outhouses at this lime of mer nal c de and not allo edto come into — main house ormir le withreople. Theyare a]sores ictedfromealingceflainkindsoffood. Theyarecor idered uncleanto reffonureligiousorotherFaclices durir mer tnalionandare notallowedinpublic places. 86. In manycoun ies it is cor idered immoral and indecent for women to arTear in public without aheadcoveiing orvdthouta FescthJeddress. 44 JnMorocco, menwearhe grey vei]sandlightwrdte gagsovertheirmoutr whentheyleavethe house. Inthe Sudarçthe fundamenta]istmflitaiyregime ado*dpiblic laws that require mento wearloose long dresses andcovertheirheads orbe subjectedto renames that range from — amputalionoftheir hands andfeetto stordng to death. The Talibanregime, whenit sgovenüng AfgharJstarc liure d ht aab and — burqua or — modest dress code in its s ictest fonu — anytolalior ofthisregulationwere hars}ilyrepinianded. Inlrarç menare comrelledto wearthe chador when theygo out. 87. Be they the imresition of the chador 45 or of purdah. or of the burqua, 46 these dre codes or modestycodes are rTesedlyFesclibed j as to desexua]ize women and thus Fotect them fromtolence. Theyare a]so to er Jre thatwomen's chaslityis Feselved J thattheydo not arouse the desire ofmen other than their huthands. However, in actual fact theyres ict women's movement andtheiriight to exFession. Healthhaz,rds coraiectedto the ganuents are a]so common. Such dresses maycause asthma . rdghblood Fes Jre, hearing or sight Foblems, sldnrashes, hü loss anda generaldec]ine inmental condition. Menofcourse rarely have dresscodes anddress requirementsexcept underthe Talil anregime. 88. For Jme womerç however, these dress codes can al j be liberaling, derendir on — context — on — relilical siffiation. For example, the veil was ajewefful s thol agair 6t Westeni” imreiialismdurir the oveflr owofthe Shahinlran. 4 Nhny menchoose to cor&onu to dress codes as amarkoftheirithnlity. The recent expu]sionofthe three Muslim schoolgir]s from a school in France, and an Eg plian girl from a French school in Alexandria for wearing — headscaifderdedthe girlstheiriightto theirculthre —— iight to educalion. As
EJCN.412002t83 pige 26 long asthe choice ofdre is made withthe wearer'sfullcor ent, — iights ofindMdua]s are not comFonü d. However, ifdress codes are forced on men and ifpunisrauent is meted out fornotweath ve cmthersome attire, theirñghts ofchoice andexFe ionare clearlyderded. J. Prac&esthatviolatewomen's rc rodur*er hts 89. In — rest — Foteclion ofwomen's reFoducive iights has not been a ragh pioñty among nalionalorintenialionalbodies. Histoñcally, — maindutyofwomenwas tobearmen's crdldrerç Feferthly Jr . The healthissues coraiectedwiththis Foce wentumioticed. The cor equences ofearly, frequent and excess e crdfteathig were explainedbyfate, destinyand dMne will ratherthanasthe resWtsofo FeTe culturaland jcial Facticesandgovenmlental neglect ofreFoducthe health itces. 4 As explainedbyMarder, The cau1 ofmatenial death oflen has Jme ofits roots in a woman's life before — Fegnancy. It maylie in ]r&ancy, or even before herbiiflç vthendeflciercies ofcalcimrçttaminD orironbegin. Continuedtr oughout craldhoodandadolescence, these faults mayre iltina confractedreMsand ntuallyindeath fromobsthactedlabourandoflenincr ordc iron-deflciencyanaeniia fromhaemonhage. The ham ofnegathte factors goes on tr oughout — man 's life: — sTecial Sk ofadolescent Fegnancythe matenlaldepleionfromFegnancytoo clo lysraced;the burder ofhea ricallabourmnthe reFoducthe reiiod;the rene edrdghSkofcrdlc eath afler35 — wor afler C;the compounding Skofgrandmullirarity, andnirwingtr oughall this — ghasilydangers ofillegal aboflionto wr&hsheerdesrerationmaydi te her. Allthese are lir s tha chain from whch ordythe grave or menorause offer hore ofescare . 90. There are tous culthral Facticesurdque to different — of the rldwrdchare hanuful for women and their reFoducthe sems. Atolalion of men's reFoducthe iights is tolence agair 6t men. Lack ofcontrol over their sexual — reFoducive lives — reor qualityreFoducive healthcare resWtmnthetolalionof men's hmuaniights. 91. A man's abiityto bear crdldren is linked to — conlinuityoffarnilies, clar and social grours. This has been — object ofregulalionbyfairdlie religious ir tiffitior and govenmiental authoiilies. The abi]ityto bear children maybe a&tantageous becau it gives a woman emolional satisfactiorç but it can a]so be an orFesthorc abanier or even an obstacle. Therefore,herconholoverherfethlityisciilical. hisome cielieswomenhavetitaallyno saymnthe mafterofrestrerdng crdlc jeath orhaving acraldmmmediatelyaflermaniage. There is a great deal ofFe ure to Foduce a child vdthin a reasonable lime, but to become Fegnant too soon is al j sconiedbythe elders. While women are used as child Foducers, their reFoducth(e c de is not given much attenlion. 92. In Nigeiia. a quafler ofall women are maniedbythe age of 14, one ha]fbythe age of 16 and tr ee quaflers bythe age of IX. In Bot ana, 28 rer cent ofwomen who have rbeen Fegnant were Fegnantbefore reaching the age of IX. In Jamaica . one third ofallbiiths are to adolescent mother while li i Pen. Colorthia and H SaWador 13 or 14 rer cent of ung men agedbeb een I5and 19 are alreadymothers. 5 ° As are jltofthe teenage Fegnancies, they tend to suffentous medical comrJicatior . It is eslimated that without obste ic care, women whog tebiflhbefore theyreachtheage oflXare threetmmesasliklytodie mncrdltnhasare
FJCN.4 12002 183 pige 27 women aged 20-29th similar circumstances. 5 ' Whena man manies at a Jur age, — is likelyto have more crdldrerç as herreFoducthe peiiod is longer. This will result in a&Terse effects on her healtrç mach as malnthition. 93. Insome Fans ofthe world . womenu1 hethal andotheragentsonthe ginato cause di 3 mess, heat andffghthess. Theybeliew thatmenFeferd1y x ”inwrdrh menfeellike tgir andbecau theytrdnk that female cretior are unclean. These ibstances can cause frIlaimuaffon and erosion ofthe ginal mucosa. 52 In some Afiican countiies and Indian states it is believed that havir sex with at in can cure men vtho suffer from a sexuallyfrar mitted dJsea . 53 Ceflaindietaiyres ictior durir Fegnancycan hanuboth the woman and the child. In Siena Leone, — Fegnant women is a&,ised to refrain from eafing eggs and cracken as they are bei d to cause frequent stools inbabie and a]so fish as it vdll re ilt in mucus inbabies. Suchres icffor Fewntthe Fegnant womanfrom gettir essenffalFoteir andwtam]rs. In some conmiurdifes in Guatemala, — mother is givenbetter care ifshe g es binh to ababy boy. 54 CeflainactMties are a]so deemedinauspicious. Standir at — dooiwaywrdle Fegnant isbeli dtocau obstnctedlabourandputhnghandsontheheadtocausediflicultor Folongedlabour. 5 5 94. Inmanycoun ies there are no trainedbinhattendants. The fradiffonalbiithaftendants are unfrainedandba theirFacticesonhious culthralbelief like e lspirits andsureniatural Fewers. ValiousFacticesdunngcrdlddeliwwcau hanutothemothers. Pressingthe abdomento force — babyout pulling — bthyoutbyfc ce, gi t awiyhotbathto — del teiing r otheror nir thng ceflainheths into — woman's ginato accelente thebiith andi Jlaffngmotherswhohavejustg enbiflharesomeoftheseFacffces. IntheSoutheni HigrdandFo t e ofPapuaNewGuinea. womenare exrectedto giwbiithunaftended. It is believed that a woman's blood is a Jurce ofcontairdnafforç leadir to ifiness and death. 56 95. The fundamentaldigrdtyofwomenashumanbeings requires that theyshouldnotsimply be regardedascrdldbearers andrearersbutas complete indMdua]s vtho are entiiledto rile their on]Ms. The inabi]ityto confroltheveryfuncffor thatdifferenffate menbiologicallyfrom men is in ith ]fatolation ofhuman iights. K Beauty 96. Inmany cieties, — desire forbeau hasoflenaffected menind ,erse war. Inthe Westeni” rldinthe b ent flrst centmythebeautymyththatatrdnfemale ph ique is — ordyacceptedshare is imrosedonwomenbythe mediatamagazines, a&,ethsir and teletsion. This me age is ntto Jung imFessionable girlswho s ,eto attainthis reffect image without rea]izir that this image is oflen ur ealistic. A&,eflisements confinue to refiray women in their fradiffonal roles or asbodies to sell a Foduct. This culthre ofimFacffcal ideals results in manyFac ices that cau1 a great deal ofabuse to — female body. Cosmetic surgery of iyreitofthe femalebodyhas ledto healthFoblerns andcomrdicaffor formanywomen. Inaddifforç eaff n gdi rders due to mthealthyfoodhabits — al j raisedagreatdealofconcern inthe Westernworld. Gir]s andwomenare dJsForeflionatelyaffectedbyeaffng djsorders — culthral demands for trarthess in — Western rld. It is esfimated that ordy5 to I D r cent of reople with eafing djsorders are male. 57
EJCN.412002t83 pige 28 L. I ' est 97. Inmanyreits ofthe rld . incestis culthrallytolerated. Nhnycountñes do notlist incestas acñme inthefrrenalcode. The fonu incest takes ñes fromforcedmasbnbatiorç to sexuali2edbeatfr s, toucrang ofgerdta]s, fellatio, cur dlingus andrare. Fathe.brother ste athers, uncles, cousir and even grandfathers mosilyengage in these Faclices. Women commit incest more rarely, but — number maybe larger than realized. There are ca s of rarents or gua daar ir nfing neigM ours to commit incest or ir tances vthere the guarthan knows ofthe ciimes but thnis ablind e . Incest is Facff dbyceflain cults, like — Hindu Sakif sect in India, in — beiefthat it is a ragher grade ofsexual intercourse and an a&,anced step towards religion. In an endogamous Indian group calledBaiga, incestuous maniage is Fachsed.SB Thetchmsare mostlyfemales. Manyofthe sun*orsofincesffious Facces sufrerfrom nous hologicalandpl ical thsorders. 5 One of the main Foblemsisthe enonuousemoffonalthfficultyinrerethng these crimes, esreciallyinthe face of disbelief and lack ofpunisrauent for — relretrator. 6 ° IlL IDEOLOGIESTHATPERPETUATE CULTURAL PRACTICES THAT ARE VIOLENT TOWARDS WOMEN 98. Violence agair twomeninthe familyinthe name ofculthre isoflensanctionedby dominant ideologies and sthactures vdthin socieffes. These ideologies and sthactures emerged in adifrerent erabut confinue to dominate public ordrdonandindMdual lifestfrs, thus Fevenr — eradicationofFaclices that are hanufulto women. A. TI regulafionof female senality 99. Manyofthe cultural Facices discussed above are oflenbased on a ciety'sbeliefthat — freedom ofa woman . esTeciallywith regard to her sexual i ntityshouldbe cunailed — regulated. Nhny holars have reintedoutthatfearoffemale sexualityanditsexFessionis resrer il le formanyofthelegalregimesthatorerate inthe culturalspliere. Thoughthe regulaffon of xualityir ofar as it affects — iights and resrer ibthffes ofothers is a legibmate acthñt 3 — Cairo Programme ofActionofthe InteniaffonalCor&erence onPopulaffonand D lopuent — — Beijir Declarationadoptedbythe FomthWorldCor&erence onWomen clearlystate that indMdual women have the iight lo a ife — sat i sf & sex life”. Trds recogrdffon of men as sexual beir s is — cuimination ofmany ears ofworkby men doctorsandacthists inthe areaofreFoducthe health. N flhele. manyculturalFacffces denywomenthese iights and er ure that womenvtho trar gress societal nonns are punished s rely. IOU. Inmanycases, female xualityis regulatedbypli icaltolence andforce. Honour killings, described above, are the most ofr ous examples. Women who fall in love, commit adulter ç request d ,orce, or choose their on husbands are seen as trar gressors ofthe boundaries ofarFopia t e sexualbehatour. Asa result theyare ibject to dir cttolence ofthe most honific kind. The ki]]ing of men with impunityfor these trar gresthor is rerhars — most oven example ofthe bntal confrol offemale sexuality.
FJCN.4 12002 183 pige 29 101. There are other areas where female sexualityis regulatedbyforce. Mjst counties do not recogrd2e marital rare asa crime, therefore sancffordng aceflainmea jre oftolencebythe husbandagafr tthe vd± inthehome. JnarecentcaseinMexico,the N xicanSuFemeComt heldthata}iusband'srareofrdsvdfe snotreallyrare,asmaniagewaslegallyFenhi dona renuanent right ofaccess to conjugal relaffor . 6 ' The limitaffon of men 's xual rights within maniage — oflenledto a great deal ofabuse inthe family. It is ordyrecenilyandordyinafew juii iicffor that marital mre is being recogrdzed as a tolent ciime. 102. Womenwho frar gress theboundaiies ofarFopiate xualbehaviour, ewnincouithies where honourlW]ingsdo not take place, are oflen ibjecttotolence. The noffonofciimes of ression or Fovoca on has oflenbeen u d to jusfffymurder ofwomen vtho engage in xual acthtityoutside maniage. Inaddifforç non-hete jsexualoiientaffor are a]so punisheds rely. P cenily, inZirthabwe, a Jung lesbian manwas lockedupbyherfamilyandforcedto submit to rare byanoldermanto conec1' heroiientation. She was rareduntilshebecame Fegnant. 62 103. Crdldmaniage, forcedmaniage andincestare additional fonns ofdli ctabuse that regulate female sexuality. Ignoth women and Jung gir]s as inditdualscareble of making choices about their]M these Faclices ibject manywomento unwanted x andrare, thus desfro dng their ]Msand their life retential. 104. Besiths the own u1 offorce such as in — cases ouuined above, female sexualityis regulatedinmore jbtle n byflueats offorce orthe withdrawaloffarnilybeneflts — Fotecifon. Women vtho fall in low with men ofa different etrwic groug class or conmiurdly are oflensubjectto this kindofFe ure to er ure thattheirbehatourcor&onusto — nonusof — family. In the contexts, men's iight to confrol their on l ,es counts for little, as do girls' and men's claims to lil eflyorfreedom ofexFe iorc a ociafforç mowmentandbodily integrity. For example, — case ofa l2- ar-old Ron girl who s raredbya neigMour — thenforcedbyherfamilyto manyrdm is anexample ofthe reweroffarnilies to make gir]s — women cor&onu. 63 The remedyofman ng — rapist is a corthion one and found in many juri iicffor . In such cases, — family's honour istolated — the familynegoffates a comFomse with the offender. B. Masculithty am! vioIe ' e 105. In recent time anthrorelogists and holars have reinted out that in ceflain contexts and in ceflain socieffes, beir masculine” in an ideal ir ,oWes a tolerance oftolence. 64 Innny cieties, — i alofheroic ma ulfrdtyreqthres acceptance ofthe noffonofhonour andthetolentregulationoffemale xuality Infact noffor ofmasculirdtyare integrally lird ed to relicing — behaviour ofwomen. Heroic men in the jcieties use violence as a mear offmTheiingjusffceandthesocialgood buttheyt usetolencetoer ire that men behave and are subordinate to their will. 106. The cor actior ofmascudtyareFe nt nvdflunthefamilyrelatior rdp. The deflo eth ofthe tginceremonyinmany cieffesisanexamp l e ofhowma ulfrdty, violence — — xualityofwomenare s tholicallycor ncted. The weddir rdght deflo eraffonir ,oWesthe maniedcouplebeir takento a roominthe house. The relath,e
EJCN.412002t83 pige 30 bothmale andfemale, ttinanffciraffon. Once — sexualactis cor mmuated . — woman mustbleedandthisbloodmustbe dJspIa dto the restofthe familyto wove thatthe man was a tgin — that — man was not im retent. The dJsplayofthe stained sheet becomes the cau1 ofgreat ceIebratior . This public srectacle ofa te moment rerhars illusfrates — underl & assumpffor that ardmate relatior rdrs beb een men and men in Jme societies. 65 107. The heroic male rersonalitywhose masculithtyis clo totolence is notordythe fradiffonal man from Meditenanean and Mddle Eastern socieffes that bei in honour. P cent sffidiesshowthatth is i soflenthedominantrarathgmintheUrdtedState forexample ,as reflectedinrepularculthre. It is oflenmanifestedinthe legacyofthe co *of andis oflen reflectedinthe moderncinema. 66 Cnatrage, angerandthe use oftolence as alegifimate mear ofresoWing cordlict is Fe lent in manyofthe films that are made in most rens ofthe rld. l O X. It is tne that not all cor tncffor ofmasculirdtyare tolent. There is a]so — rewefful moralideabofthe se]iresfrained. dJscir& d. areñormanofthe Erdighterament whcse lir s withtolence are farmore nuanced. orthe alternathe mode]s ofmasculfrdtythat have emerged since — growth ofthe recent women 's movement. Ho ever , unless theie is public educafict — camraigr to fryand counter — negafive images oftolent men as idea]s for a societ3 the heroicmalestereot e inmany cietiesny s tfflbethe onecan3& the gun. Suchanidealhas señous cor equences for women. IV. STATE RESPONSIBILITy 109. Inthe restStateshavebeenreluctanttointelvenevdthregardtoculthralFacffcesinthe famil ç oflen statfr that this is a Tate” matter and — State — no obligaffon in — domain ofthe domestic”. T}uoughoutthe world . domestictolence — arelybeenFo cutedbecau offlüs teIpublic difrerenifaffon. However, since the 1980s, internaffonalstandards have emerged that are veryclear on — matter ofdomesffc tolence and the duffes ofStates to eradi ate tolence inthe family. 110. The r claraffon on — Elirninaffon ofviolence agair t Women states clearly tates shouldcondenmtolence agath6t menandshouldnot ir ,oke any custom, fradiffon or religiouscor ideration to avoid their obligaffor with resrect to its eliminaffon. States should pursue byall arFopiate mear — without delaya reicyof eliminaffngtolence agair twomen. ' ' The r claraffon goes onto saythat States should exercise due di]igence to Fevent ]r (estlgate and, in accordance vdthnaffonal legislafforc punish acts oftolence agafr t womerç whether those acts are reiretratedbythe State orbypi te actorc. 6 B Ill. The r claraffon a]so srecifies — lyre ofacifon a State should take to eLiminate tolence inthe home: it must d lop arFopiate renal legislaffon; it must cor ithrd lopir national plar ofacifon to eliminate tolence agair t women; in the light ofthe available resources it must Fotde social seitces for mentchms oftolence; it must take measures to er ure that public officialsenthistedwithimplemenffngthe la s — adequate trairdng to ser iffze themto — needsofwomerçanditmuster urethatadecjuate resourcesare taside inthe govenmient
FJCN.4 12002 183 pige3l budget to combattolence inthe family. All these Fotsior are abj containedingeneral reconmiendaffon 19 ofthe Committee onthe ErnuinationofDiscthuinationagafr tWomerc where the legal obligation ofstate renies to the Cor ,ention on — E]irninaffon ofAll Fonus of Discñmination agafr t Women is srelled out with regard to tolence agair t women. Both the documents make it clear that at — begfrwing ofthe b enty-flrst centhi 3 — action ofstate renies maybe measured agafr t international standards that clearlyai*ulate a strategyfor the eliminaffonoftolence agair twomeninthe family. Byarguing that custonb traditionand religioncaratotbe fr tokedbyState rathesto defendtolence agafr twomeninthe fan& ç rnternational standards reject — culthralrelathttargmuentthatculthralFacffces that are tolenttrnrndswomeninthe familyshouldbe srdeldedfrom internaffonal nffny. 112. Itisoflenarguedthat — hmuanlightsarFoacrc withits emphasis onlawand punisrauent maynotbe v elyFoduc i v e inflghffngtolence agafr twomenonthe ground. Manyacthtistsfeelthatthe emphasis shouldbe placedoneducationandhealthstrategies that combataffiffides overthe long tenti. However, rdstoiydoeshave examplesofhowsfrong — efrecuve la s have einünatedceflainFacffces vdthina matterof ars. Inindia. the enacthient ofthe Srecial Act of 1870 eradicated — Facice offemale fr&anffcide in — NoflhWest o es. The Govenmient inrewercliminali2edthe Facice, mordtoredFegnancies andput rarents injailwho engagedinthe Faclice. By1906, — Gjvenmient vdtlbtewt} legislaffon because it s so efrecuve. In Crana, — rest-war regimes eradicated Factices mach as foot binding vdththe 1me detenuination. The existence ofa cñminal ircffon er ures thatrarents have anexcuse to srare theircrdldsucha Factice. The lawallo s rarents anyto avoidgMng into JcialFessure andcustom. Withoutsuchalaw,itisdifliculttoeradirate aFacliceina gene muon. 113. Ho ever, there is no doubtthathealthandeducaffonstrategies are exfremelyimreflant for long-tenti change and — developuent ofa commurdty. A great deal ofempliasis shouldbe placed on such Fograrthies in cooreraffon with local women's grours rIdng for — eradiaffon ofhannful Facices. The fr ,oWement oflocal women's grours and ci l societyin — movementto eradicate hanufulFaclices is — ordyguarantee thatthe Fac cc will not re-emerge in the futhre. 114. Manycountiies have d lored interesfing strategies to deal with cultural Facices in the familythat are tolent to rnds women. Women's grours are d lopir fraio the to challenge — u1 offradiffon as a raffonale for conffnuedtolence. Vaiious Fojects demor frate how men's grours work with the legislature, religious and other leaders, fami]ies — commurdties to change affiffides andFacffces. The Fojects ]r ,oWe cor ,entional method such as legal acfforç legal changes and awareness-raJsfr events, as well as uncor ,entional acth,iffes. Familybyfarnily, conuuurdtybyconuuurdt 3 the Fojects arebuildir resTectfor — ]Msofwomenandgirlsandanunderstandir thatgender-basedtolaffor are notintegral to anyfradiffon or culthre. 115. One ofthe major developuents in — legal field has been the refonu ofthe Ci l Code in Turkey, forvdiichthe men's movementhasbeenlobb dng formany ars. The amended CMlCodeabo]ishesthe Femacyofmeninr iageandallo swomentohavea 1yinall mattersrelatir to the maniage, thus establisrang — ecjua]ityofmenandwomeninthe fairdly. 6 Ir&onuaffonFotdedto the SrecialRarTefleurbythe GovenmientofDemuarkindicatesthat
tJLJ'1 A! 2UU2flSi ege 32 the Danish Alien Act ns amended in 2000 to pevent reople fmm being foited into a mariiage. The Government of t nmark has further taken sters to secure the immigration status of women brought to E* nmark for the puzp of maniage, if these women leave their husbands becau of familytelatedviolence. Itis not onlyim xntant to amend existing laws, it is a]so nece aryto ess new laws, such as the lawbanning FOM in government hospitals in Egypt. Legal action in the courts is another area that has been develoFd to deal with gender-ba dviolence. One such interesting case comes from Ken , where two teenaged daughters obtainedacourt injunction restraining their father from foiting them to undeip FGM. 116. Legalmeasuiesaie notenoughif opIe aie not educatedaboutthe cialfflsofMimful traditional practices. Awareness-raising activities aze impflnt to educate the community !n Tajilcistan, a local NGO, Ghamkhoii, is involved in combating violence against women through education?° Various social i ues, such as reproductive health, human tights, gender relations and domestic violence ate taught and discus d through role -pIa áng, games, questions-and-answers, small group work, illustrated caltls/pDsters, resliciretive rural appraisal techniquesando n-endedstoties. These projects also train local religious leaders, medical rersonnel, w]ice rersonnel and schoolteachers, as weli as providing seivices such as women's centres andbasic gynaecolc ical seivices. The involvement of males in these programmes is common and necessazybecause theyaze termed the decision malce]s of the communities. In Denmark, the Ministryof Health has startedaninfonnationcam eignconcenuing FOM. The aim of the catn ign is to prevent Ft3M of girls living in Denmark and to inform teachers, cial workers and health care rersnnel about this subject. 117. The media too have an imwrtant role to playin providing information. But this infonnationcouldbe adverse to the women's rights agenda if it is not pro erlymonitored. Media cam igns canbackfire on occasion if theysensationalizk the issues or if theyonly publish hostile reprts and :ersonal attacks about the concerned activists and law ers. The Nereli orzanization Sancharilca Samuha (Women Communicators Forum) has conducted various activities on media advocacyand gender and e ualit5ç through gender training, media monitoring, publications and talk programmes. 118. Other creative wa ,s have been used to invoke a sen of com ion and commitment to protecting women's human rights. One such success has been the alternative rites of e age project in Kenya? 2 It is a communityinitiative that sup xnts the ritual coming of age ceremony without the practice of FGM A new rite known as tirtumcision through worth” has replaced FGM itself The process includes a week-long programme of counselling and celebration. The retticirents ate taught about their role as women, rarents and adults and theyaze also educated in areas such as çersonal health, reproductive issues, hygiene, communication skills, self-esteem and reer pressure. While doing away with the dangerous practice, it captutes the cultural significance of FGM. Such alternative rites have now spread to other countries like Guinea-Bis u and Gambia. 119. While tortuze-lilce practices that involve severe rein and sufFering mustbe corthatedby the forte of law and intensive programmes with regard to health and education, mc6t countries ate reluctant to adopt such a draconian approach towattis religious and customary laws relating to the family. Since these laws are said to reflect deeplyheldvalues, manyactivists have felt thatadifferent approach is neces ry. State parties to the Convention on the Elimination of All
FJCN.4 12002 183 pige 33 Fonns ofrli thrdnaffonagair t Womenare underadeflrdte obligaffontobth theirla s into cor onance withinternaffonalstandards. Trds requiresecjuahtybet eenthe xes vdthinthe familyandfreedom ofautonomyforthe raltlers. Ho ewr , countñes like SouthAfiicahaw attemptedto Feselve the d terthtyofculthral Facticesbyallow forcustomaiylawvdiile er ur € that ceflain niirdmum core iights are granted to men. In addifforç couples are gwen — opifonon their wedding dayofchoosir customaiylaw or a lawthat is imçdredby documents like — Cor ,enffon. This lyre of arFoach allo s for women s iights to be safeguardedwithout completelyowrhaulir the s temofcustomaryandrersonallawsthatare oflen u d as tags ofidenffl 3 fbyceflain conmrnrdffes. States are under — obligation to FewntdJscflnünaffonagair twomercbutthe arFoachtowards eradicatir thatdjsciinünaffon can iyderendir on — realiffes ofa g Ten ciety. V. RECOMMEM ATIONS A. AttI intemathnallevel 120. State reities should sign — Cor ,enffon on — RUmination ofAll Fonns of Disciimination agair t Women without resen ition so as to er ure a comniitmenttrnrnds international standards ofequalitybeb een the sexes. 121. State renies shouldreferto — r claraffononthe R]iminationofviolence agair t Women to Fotde efreciw guidelims for the eradi affonoftolence agair t women in the family. 122. Internaffonalanddonoragencies shouldplayanfrder te andacth,istrole inhelpir to eradjate toitjre.like culthralFacffces that cause severe reinandsufreth to thetcffm. B. AttI mfiomflwel 123. States shoWdnotir ,oke anycustom, fradiffonorreligiouscor iderationto avoidtheir obligaffon to eradi ate tolence agair t women and — girl crald in the family. 124. States should exercise due diligence to Fevent, ir tesffgate and, in accordance with national legislafforc pmish acts oftolence agair t womerç whether these acts are relrefratedby — State orbyrState actors. 125. States should d lop renal, cMl — admirdstraffw sanctior in domestic legislaffon to punishtolence inthe familyandto Fotde redressto mentchiu ewnifthetolence is associatedwithaculthral Factice. The renalsancffonshouldbe strong andefreciw andnot merelyonrarer. 126. States shouldd lopnaffonalplar ofactionto eradicate tolence inthe family, renicularl 2 iolence relatedto culthral Facticestr oughhe a lthandeducationFogranmes at — grass.roots l l. 127. Statesshouldd lop Jcial McesandFotdesheltersaimedathelpir women tchms oftolence in the familyto escare from human iights tolaffor .
EJCN.412002t83 rage 34 128. States shouldfrainall public officia]s inthe admirJsfralionofjustice, educalionand healthsectors tobe ser ithe andenergelic vdthregardto issues relatfr totolence agair t women. 129. States should adopt all arFopiate measures in — field ofeducalion to modifythe social andculthralrattenls ofconductthatfosterculthralFaclices inthe familythatare tolent towards women. 130. States should collect data and statislics on the ren isiwness ofcultural Faclices that are tolent to rds wome rç j as to er ure the dewlopuent of arT opiate shategies for their eradic a lion. 131. States shouldinclude — mea irestheyhave takento combatculthralFaclices that are tolenttrnrndswomenintheirrereflsunderrele mnt hmuanñghtsir tniments. 132. States shouldrecogrdze the imreflant role thatwomen'sgrours andwomen's orgardzatior playin — eradicalion ofcultural Facices that are tolent towards women and g e them all nece arysurTefl and encouragement. Notes ‘The Srecial RarTefleur would like to thaa and acknowledge the briefing rarersFeraredfor flüsrereflbyMs. SaamaRajakanna. Ms. SusanaT. FriedandMs. Alice M Nhller 2 A Nhlian man was recentlyjailed for eight pars ±br circumcising 2 gir]s, follovdng a ial inParis. (EEC Ordine Neb ork . 17 Febnaryl999). I D Febnaryl998. The HumanPights Ir&onuationNeb ork(HURll ET). In the Urdted Kingdom, in May1999, — NotlinghamCronComtsentenceda Paldstard woman and her gron-up Jn to life impi muent for murdeth the woman's daughter, Ruk} anaNaz, aFegnant mother of b o craldren. Ruk} ana s rerceiwd to haw brought shame onthe fan&ybyhavir a xualrelatior rdpoutside maniage. Herbrotrerrerefledly sfrangledRuk} ana. wrdle her mother held her don. (Anmestylnteniational, Pahstan: honour killings ofgirls and men” ASAI33I1899, Septer er 1999, p. 4 ). There is a]so — case of ZenaE r iggswhohadnthedanEnglishmaninspfteofherrarents 'dec i sioontomanyhertoa cousininPaldstan. To this day, adeathsentence is hangir owrthe couple as Zena'srarents — emplo dreople to kill them (Amnestyintenialiona]. Pakthtan: Violence agath6t men in the name ofhonom” ASAI33I17j99, Septer er 1999, p. 8). Inthe Englishlanguage, honommear rdghestee , resrect recogrdliorc djslincliorç pi lege, reputalion or a woman's chastityor purity. 6 The case ofAmanujlah illusfrates t ds reint. Amanujlah manied a woman vtho had earlier beenfondofhercousinNazii amaniedmanwitheight crdldren. AsNazirwas unable to obtain
FJCN.4 12002I83 pige 35 cor ent from her farnilyto manyher, Natr murdered Amanuilah and then killed Ms on frthocentsisteranddeclaredthet ofthemasKaroandKañ. Aflerabiiefpi nteim.Nazir was gwen Amanuilah's wife li i comrer affon for — surTesed ir&iingement ofrds honour. (Anmestylnteniational/Paldstan: HonourIdllir sofgir]sandwomenThSAt33Il899, Septerther 1999, p. 9 ) In — case ofshaheerç herhusband allegedlyset her on fire li i Decer er 1998 li i a Satta-watta context. Their maniage had rat into frouble and Anwar, her husband, wanted to sendherhome. But Shaheen'sbrother, maniedto An r'ssister, refusedto ndrds vdfe home as well. Annrfoundno othernyto remove Msshame thanto killrds wife. (Amnesty Inteniaffona], TaIdstan: HonourlW]ingsofgir]s andwomen” ASA133I18I99, September 1999, p. 6 ). Sirhan, a 35- ar-oldJordanianis Foudofhavir IdlledMssisterbyshooffng herfourtimes inthehead. Herciimewastorerefltothe relicethatshehadbeenrared. Sirhansigneda pledge not to hanu her. Accordir to ram, Ms sister committed a mistake, even ifit was agair t herwill. He cor idersitbetterto have one rersondie thanto have — whole familydie from shame. Sirhan seived onlys montr injail. (Ir&onuation submitted to — Srecial RarTefleur by L.Be pr). Acouple eremaniedforl6 arsandallwaswellunrnthevdfe gotajobandstanedto comehome lateandrefu dto ayherconjugaldebC. Thehusbandldlledherandwas acquitted on — legibmate defence ofhonour. The decision s upheld on arTeai (Ir&onuaffon subrnittedto — Srecial RarTefleurbyP.Turgut). The D ndathsofKuththirdtllage: tctlir ofaderdgratedculture”, Groots Newsletter Working Women's For m 1998, at vw.ashanet.onIliljradai*lesIde dasis.l998l2.hthil The Trokosi: religious slaveryin Ghana”byObene Amrer ahat vw.anti-slaverv.onklobaWhanaj 12 A.de.V. thaar,D.Offi a,C.Pa e,ToL e inFear: WitcMunür andN diine Murderin venda HumanSciences P searchCounci], 1992. Subrni ionbyHelpAge International to — Srecial RarTefleur, Septer er 2001. 14 SffidyonfrathffonalFacffces afrecing — healthofwomenand crdldrerç finalrerefibythe SrecialRarTefleurofthe Sub-Conmii iorç Ms. HahmaESjarekWn; July1991, (EJCN.4ISub .21199116). SucMfrachoudhm 3 The womanaswitch”, The Statesmarç 7November 1993. 16 v w.wo m er ene w s.onIaifrle . cfmjd&4lslcontextlarcrth,e
EJCN.412002t83 pige 36 G 1st flix ,* th,a on: A Cqobal G,ncnn. A rerUn byHmuan Bights Watch for the UrdtedNaffor World cor&erence agair tRacis Racial Discñminatiorç Xenor iobia and B lated Intolerance, Enrban South Mñca. September 2001, Au jst 2001 The Buraku sem s abo]jshed in 1871 bythe Bñtish. In inderendent India it cor ffffiffonallyabolished in 1950. Even though — cor fftuffon Fordbits djscñnünaffon on the basis ofcaste inNeraithere is anexcepffonforHindureligious Facces. qndia:tolence agair twomen- adouble di thuination' Anmestylnteniational, ASA20jU29I200l. 20 Publishedbythe (UrdtedKingdom) Home Office Communicaffor Directorate, June 2000. 21 See UrdwrsalDeclaraffonofHmuanBights, aiticle l6;Cor ,enffononthe fliminalionofAjl Fonns ofrli thrdnaffonagair t Womerç ai*le l6;GeneralB commendaffonNo. 21 ofthe Conmiittee onthe Hliunaffonofrli thrdnaffonagair t Women. 22 The B tew 4 - 10 Marcrç 1999. 23 The conceptthatawomancoWdbe eraavedas awife was intemaffonallyrecogrdzedinthe Supplementa wCor tenffononthe AboliffonofSlawi 3 — Slave Trade, andJrsffffiffor and Practices Similar to Slavel3 1956. 24 vw.epualit jw.onjbei rluss tolence e .htnil 25 Ta dor, D. SeMle Nhniages: Ir tituffonahsedSlavew Anti-SlaveiyB refl 1994, 26 A Maffn of Power: £ 1at Crn*oI of em n Mrgmity Thrhtv, Human Bights Watcrç vol 6, No 7, June 1994 27 B efl ofthe Fomth World Cor&eience on Women. Beiji . annex I, resoluffon I, 1995 UrdtedNaffor Publicafforç Sales No. E.96.IV.13. Words — deeds: holdir Gownmients accountable in — Beijing + S re ew Focess” at v w.epualit jw.onIacffon e 16 4.htnil . The legal age ofcor ent for maniage is different for men and men and is usuallylower for women. Trds is — case incoun ieslike Colorta. Jaran. Mexico andTurkey. Athcle 7 &the Mali 1992 Code ofManiage and Guardiar rdp allows men to opt for relwamy. Theycan a]so do j in Algeña — Tara,rda. Athcle 158 ofthe Mexican Ci Code Fotdes that a woman cannot remanyuntil 300 da afler the djs jluffon of the maniage.
FJCN.4 12002I83 pige 37 32 In Israe]. — d ,orce ofJe s is deci dbyrabbirical comts. In — case ofPlordt V Plordt the High Rahbirdc Comt in 1995 and the SuFeme Comt in 1997 ur ieId — decision that d ,orce is granted enthelyon — decision whether — man wants it. EcjuahtyNow, Uganda: exclusionofwomenfrcm landownersrdp- the lostcause Women s Acfforç August 2000 at vncegualit ow.o Iacffon e 17 I . htnil B refl ofthe WorIdr Group on Tradiffonal Practices afrectfr — Health ofWomen and Craidren to — Commission on Human BJghts at its foit -second session in 1986 (EJCN.4ll986142) . pira. 143. Preliminaiyrereflofthe SrecialRarTefleurofthe Suh-Conmiissiorç Nk Hahn EmbarekWn , on traditional Facticesafrectir — health of women and crdldren (E l C N. 415 ub .21199516). 36 Mewof UNICEF acthtiffesrelaffng totolence agath6t menandcrdldrenvdflunthe framework ofthe Cor ,enffon on the Bights ofthe Crdld; conesTendence with — Srecial RarTefleur. A Jor torç S. R. Burnett and S.C. Bott Toward the 21st Centav The Populaffon Ir ffffite, No.1 ,1995. Roxaraje Carillo, Batteredrteams: Violence air tWomanas anObstacle to r wlo nt New York . UNIFEMSaIes pubhcaffon No. WE DII, 1992. Final rerUn ofthe sffidyon traditional pmcffces afrectir — health ofwomen and crdldrenby — SrecialRarTefleurofthe Sub-Comrnissiorç Ms. Halima ESjarekWai zi (EJCN.4ISub .21199116). Pak i stan - Girl Crald i n EsTeciallydifficult circumstances - rerUn fc presentaffon at SAP RC meeing on CCEDS, 1995. Note 36abow. 42 Note 3 sabow. Athcle C. These counties include Afghardstarc Iran . Algeiia. Turkey, Morocco andNhla ia. A scajithat covers the haii forehead — neck. 46 A ganuentthatcovers menfromheadto toe withordyasmallorerdng nearthe e es; sometimes that area is covered with a mesh cloth. ° BjiffatHassan. Women's Bights inlslam: Fromthe I.C.P.Dto Beijir .
EJCN.4I2002t83 pige 38 P becca 3. Cook. Intenialional Proteclion ofWomen's P Foducthe PJghts. New york Urth,ersity Jomnal oflntenialional Law and Politics vol 24, Winter 1992, No.2, p.o 4 5 . Note 45 abow, p. 6 47 . Womenofthe World: Laws andPolicies afreci theirP p ducthe L ,es - LalinAme r ica andthe Caribbean . The Centre forP Foducthe LawandPolicy, 1997, p.l 3 . P becca 3. Cook — Maranoud F. Fathalla. A&tancing reFoducthe rights be nd Cairo — Beijfr ”, in Intenialional FamilvPlarwir Persrecthe. vol. 22, No.3, Septer er 1996, p. 117 52 Facing — Challenges ofHIV, AIDS, STDs: A Oerder-BasedB srer e 1995, KIT, SAPAIr , / iO. Dr. Naf]s Sadi Thcisior ford lopuent: womerç emrewenuentard reFoducthe health”, The State ofWorld Popahtion 1995 Urdted Nalior Population Fund. p. 49 . Ir&onualionFotdedto — SrecialRarTefleurbythe GownmientofGuatemala. SffidyonfrathlionalFacices afrecing — healthofwomenand crdltherç Final rereflofthe SrecialRarTefleurofthe Sub-Conmii iorç Ms. HarnuaEitharekWn . July1991 (EJCN.4ISub .21199116). 56 Note 52 above, p. 4 5 . Anorexia Neivosa — B lated Paling Disorders, Inc. at w w.ar ed.cornicauses.hthil . Uo ide Mause, The urdwrsalityofincesI', Journal ofPswhordstor Fall 1991 vol. 19, No.2. S re somatic reactior , derersonalizaliorc se]ihafred. h te± a lsei res, deFessiorc borderline rer Jnamyfonualiorc Fom i scuit c sexuald functior , jicide, ]imutilaliorç rdght tenorsandflasMack mulliple rer nalities, rest-fraunlatic sfress djsorders, delinquency, buliniiaandthe owrallsffinlingoffeelir sandcaracities. Uo iDeNhuse/The mthtersality ofincesI' Journal ofP hordstorv Fall 1991, vol. 19, No.2. 60 In £bi Sa M hra V fl Ihi Adminis&a on and Anoth July1996, — SuFeme Comt of India thoughtthatitwas incredible to accuse — fatherofrapir rdstr ee- ar-oldgin — irfladaccusedthe motherofl ffing faise accusatior to take revenge onherhusbandforan mthappymaniage. BrokenPeorle: Caste Violence a air t India's tntouchables” , Human Bights Watch 1999, Urdted States ofAmerica. 61 See Eduardo Moline yVeda. N xico: SuFeme Comt legitimizesrare ofsreu crilics sa l' ht Imembers. aol.comincmdrIirsne sIhtrn]. 16 June 1997.
FJCN.4 12002 183 pige 39 62 See Amnestyinteniaffong Ciimes ofhate cor th yofsilence: Toitre andifi-freathient based on Sexual Identity New York . Amnestylnteniaffona]. 2001, p. 39 . 63 Teshmonyat — Women at the Inter cffon ofRacism — Other OrFessior : A Human Bights Heath , orgardzedbythe Center for Women's Global Leadership at the NOD For m durir the WorldCor&erence agafr tRacis Racial rli thrdnafforç Xenor iobiaandB lated Intolerance, Dmban. 2001. 64 See Suzaraje E. Hafi 3 ulfrdffesandViolence”(LordordNewDelrd. Sage, 2000) orA. Coni llandNancyUndJsfanie ed. tislocaffr Masculirdties”(NewYork. Routeledge, 1994). 65 NancyLindisthnie, Vañantmasculirdffes, irianhtgfrdffe rethinldng honourandshame hA. Coninil andother ed. tislocaffr Masculfrdties' p. 82 . 66 See Suzaraje E. Hafi 3 note 64, chars. 4 and 5. 67 Declaration on the FEminaffon ofViolence agair t Womerç FoclaJmedbythe Urdted Naffor General As r lyin re jluffon 2Il04 of2O r cember 1993. Athcle 4(c) ofthe Declaraffon. v w.wranet . orzlnews . hfrnl . Ir&onuaffonFotdedbyColette Han s, F ogianuue rlirector, Womeninlnteniational D lopuent, crnce oflrdeniational B searchandD lopuent, Virgiria Tecrwicalurthtersity, UrdtedStatesofAmeñca. ‘ I Ir&onuaffonFotdedbyBandanaRana, Execufiw Presi nt ofSancharikaSamuha atthe AsiaPacific regional cor ultaffonwiththe Srecial RarTefleur, 2001. WithanEndinS ht: Strategies fromthe UNWEMTnmst Fundto RUminate Violence a air t Women . UrdtedNaffor D lopuent FundforWomerç2000.