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Violence Against Women and Gender Inequality in the Pacific Islands

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Violence Against Women and Gender Inequality in the Pacific Islands FIJI WOMEN’S RIGHTS MOVEMENT “HELPING TO BALANCE THE SCALES” May 2016 Paradise lost: Violence against women and gender inequality in the Pacific islands By Imrana Jalal Senior Social Development Specialist (Gender), Sustainable Development and Climate Change Department, Asian Development Bank A lawyer by profession, Ms. Jalal was a Commissioner with the Fiji Human Rights Commission. She is the author of the Law for Pacific Women, architect of the Family Law Act 2005, and former Chair of the UN Committee on Harmful Practices Against Women, and continues to be a member of the Fiji Women’s Rights Movement, Women Living Under Muslim Law, and the Asia-Pacific Forum on Women, Law and Development. Ms. Jalal is also a Commissioner on the International Commission of Jurists, Geneva. Published on Tuesday, 22 March 2016 http://blogs.adb.org/blog/paradise-lost-violence-against-women-and-gender-inequality-pacific-islands THE Pacific islands conjure up images of paradise: white sand beaches, transparent sparkling aquamarine seas, and happy smiling islanders. But what lies beneath is the unacceptable treatment of women and rampant gender inequality, as the iconic tourist images mask the highest rates in the world of intimate partner sexual and domestic violence against women, ranging from around 68% in Papua New Guinea (PNG), Fiji and Kiribati to 40% in Samoa. Against this milieu, paradise is surely lost for women and girls in the Pacific. Not much appears to have changed since Susan Brownmiller wrote her brilliant seminal book Against Our Will: Men, Women and Rape in 1975. That book had such a profound impact on me becoming a feminist in my early 20s. A woman sitting in a traditional hut in Samoa. Gender equality appears to have advanced everywhere, and so, you would think, would watch their mothers being beaten by their fathers. for the first time, six Pacific countries. The Pacific attitudes about wife beating. However, according The father is the patriarch after all. It is he who must ranked very poorly in this index of 128 countries, to a new UNFPA report, this is far from the truth. be obeyed. These impressionable young women with most of the six surveyed countries in the The report highlights how in Timor-Leste a consider it justifiable, because their mothers do. bottom 25%. The Solomon Islands and PNG were staggering 81% of teenage girls believe a husband They too get beaten when they are grown women, ranked at 124 and 125, respectively. is justified in beating his wife for at least one and in turn they teach their own daughters—even “The urgency of dealing with gender-based reason. The figures were slightly lower for Kiribati, if it is only by subliminal socialization—that it is violence in the Pacific is self-evident,” she said. Solomon Islands, Tuvalu, Samoa, and Vanuatu, but acceptable too. And so the cycle continues and It is important to remember that one cannot still speak volumes about how girls perceive their that’s why those 81% of Timorese girls think it’s point to individual successful women to rationalize mothers’ status. In Tonga, faring somewhat better, fine for their fathers to beat their mothers. the advancement of gender equality, as is just over 25% of girls think domestic violence is Last week, Dame Meg Taylor, Secretary commonly done in the Pacific. Gender indexes acceptable in some circumstances. General of the Pacific Islands Forum and the measure women’s advancement as a group. Aren’t we raising our daughters differently? first female leader of the regional organization, The success of individual women is laudable, but Aren’t we asking them to dream a different dream, reminded us of some of these problems in the it is an anomaly, an exception to the rule. They one that allows them lives with dignity, husbands Pacific. In ADB’s Manila headquarters as annual succeed in spite of the system, not because of it. who respect them, and a decent education Gender Month distinguished speaker, Dame Meg It is important and appropriate to celebrate them followed by paid work? Not so, it seems. pointed out that the last 2012 Women’s Economic for many reasons, including their importance as Picture how the intergenerational cycle of Opportunity Index, published by the Economist role models to girls and young women. But this domestic violence, actual criminal assault against Intelligence Unit, provided a global comparison women in the home, is perpetuated. Teenage girls of women’s economic opportunities including, Cont’d on page 2 1 From the Director’s desk MEDIA RELEASE Greetings ELF Graduate Appointed to AWID from FWRM! Board of Directors The first quarter of 2016 was a traumatic THE Fiji Women’s Rights Movement and time for Fiji, when we were hit by the most the Emerging Leaders Forum Alumni (ELFA) destructive hurricane in our recorded history on congratulate Betty Barkha on her recent election 20th February – Tropical to the Association for Women’s Rights in Cyclone Winston. Development (AWID) Board, an influential global The loss of life and organisation with over 30 years experience in widespread destruction development, sustainability, gender equality and was unprecedented. We women’s rights. Fijians are resilient, but Betty, who is originally from Lautoka, is a it is going to take a long human rights advocate with extensive experience time to recover. Women and girls in gender equality, peace & security, youth have been particularly inclusion and climate change. Betty is currently affected by the disaster, based in Thailand with the Asia Pacific Forum which threw into stark on Women, Law and Development. She is also relief the issues of violence, lack of access involved with the FRIDA Young Feminist Fund, to decision-making and unequal burden of Women Deliver Young Leaders Program and work. But what also emerged were stories the Asia Pacific Alliance on Women Peace and of women’s heroism in the face of great Security. danger, as they protected their families in the FWRM’s Executive Director Tara Chetty says: height of the storm. And, perhaps even more “We are thrilled to have a young woman leader important has been their resilience, strength from Fiji on the AWID Board, to represent the and laughter as women have taken the lead in concerns of Pacific women. Betty is a strategic ecstatic about Betty’s appointment to the AWID the arduous cleanup and recovery during the leader, committed to the principles of feminism Board. She has dedicated herself to doing amazing weeks and months since. Our Research Officer, and human rights, and an outstanding graduate work and this can only be one more step towards Menka Goundan played a lead role in FWRM’s of our young women’s leadership programme.” that and being a proud voice for young Pacific contribution to the disaster response efforts, She graduated from FWRM’s Emerging initiating a Dignity Pack Appeal for basic hygiene women.” Leader’s Forum in 2012. ELF is a year-long supplies for women and girls. She shares her Betty is currently involved in research under experiences of visiting the worst affected areas leadership-training programme for young women the Australian National University’s Pacific and hearing firsthand the stories of young in Fiji, which began in 2002 and now has an Research Colloquium to understand climate women and their families. Alumni of over 100 young women leaders. change resilience initiatives undertaken by As Fiji was getting ready to face Winston, ELFA Co-ordinator Funmike Lilo echoes similar Pacific grassroots and indigenous women using the women’s movement was dealing with sentiments expressed by Chetty: “The Alumni is traditional knowledge. other losses, with the passing away of Shireen Lateef on 11th February and Peni Moore just two weeks later on 24th February. Both women have left a lasting legacy in Fiji’s feminist history, and in particular the herstory of FWRM. Peni Paradise lost: Violence against women and was our first Coordinator, whilst Shireen had significant influence in the development of one gender inequality in the Pacific islands of our founding members. We pay tribute to Shireen and Peni in this from page 8 issue with personal reflections on their lives and them over and over again at home, at school legacies from three Fiji feminists: Claire Slatter, cannot, and should not, be an overall indicator and in the churches, mosques and temples Virisila Buadromo and Imrana Jalal. of gender equality. that hitting a woman is a criminal assault, a Our front-page features a first foray into violation of a woman’s human rights. The same blogging by one of our founding members. So what can we do about it? act committed outside the home would be Imrana shares a very personal analysis of the For a start we need to question the considered a crime. They need to understand astronomical rates of violence against women fundamentals of patriarchy that require fathers that if their father considered their mother his in the Pacific. While the figures are depressing to reign supreme. Based on my experience equal, he would not beat her. – for example, that over 80% of teenage girls representing hundreds of battered women Women have to defend themselves and in Timor Leste believe wife-beating is justifiable in court, try counseling and mediation first, say enough is enough. Ultimately they have to – Imrana instead uses this to reenergize her but if that does not work then prosecute and walk away from marriages in which men refuse commitment to the work we do. And I agree seek punishment. Women should expose their to change. These small acts of dignity may turn with her when she says,“All of this reminds me of why I am still a feminist.
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