6808 EXTENSIONS OF REMARKS April 17, 1989 EXTENSIONS OF REMARKS VIOLENCE AGAINST WOMEN A Then there are the less recognized forms Once a gesture of love, ever-escalating SEVERE, WORLDWIDE HUMAN of violence. In Nepal, female babies die from dowry now represents a real financial RIGHTS PROBLEM neglect because parents value sons over burden to the parents of unwed daughters. daughters; in Sudan, girls' genitals are muti Increasingly, dowry is being seen as a "get lated to ensure virginity until marriage; and rich quick" scheme by prospective hus HON. GEORGE MILLER in India, young brides are murdered by their bands, with young brides suffering severe OF CALIFORNIA husbands when parents fail to provide abuse if promised money or goods do not enough dowry. IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES materialize. In its most severe form, dowry In all these instances, women are targets harassment ends in suicide or murder, free Monday, April 17, 1989 of violence because of their sex. This is not ing the husband to pursue a more lucrative random violence. The risk factor is being arrangement. Mr. MILLER of California. Mr. Speaker, new female. research by the World Watch Institute shows Dowry deaths are notoriously undercount Most of these abuses have been reported ed, largely because the husband and his rel that violence against women is one of the in one or another country, at one or another atives frequently try to disguise the murder most widespread yet least recognized health time. But it is only when you begin to amass as a suicide or an accident and the police are and human rights problems in the world. It statistics and reports from international or loathe to get involved. A frequent scam is to cuts across all cultures and affects every so ganizations and countries around the world that the horrifying dimensions of this set the women alight with kerosene, and cioeconomic group. global war on women come into focus. For then claim she died in a kitchen accident In the United States, a woman is beaten me the revelation came only recently after hence the term "brideburning." In 1987 the every 15 seconds and, each day, four of talking with scores of village women police officially recorded 1, 786 dowry deaths these women die. Every 6 minutes, a woman throughout the world. in all of India, but the Ahmedabad Women's in the United States is raped. I never intended to investigate violence; I Action Group estimates that 1,000 women was researching maternal and child health may have been burned alive that year in In parts of Africa and the Middle East, Gujurat State alone. young girls are subjected to life-threatening issues overseas. But I would commonly begin my interviews with a simple question: A quick look at mortality data from India circumcisions in order to ensure virginity until What is your biggest problem? With unnerv reveals the reasonableness of this claim. In marriage. ing frequency, the answer came back: "My both urban Maharashtra and greater In India, thousands of young brides have husband beats me." Bombay, 19 percent of all deaths among been murdered by their husbands in cases These are women who daily have to walk women 15 to 44 years old are due to "acci where the bride's parents did not pay the hus four hours to gather enough wood for the dental burns." In other Third World coun band a dowry as large as he had expected. evening meal, whose children commonly die tries, such as Guatemala, Ecuador and In Austria in 1985, more than half of all mur of treatable illnesses, whose security can be Chile, the same statistic is less than 1 per wiped out with one failed rain. Yet when de cent. ders were committed within the family, with fining their own concerns, they see violence Elsewhere in the world, the marriage women and children constituting 90 percent of as their greatest dilemma. Those dedicated transaction is reversed, with prospective the victims in those cases. to helping Third World women would do husbands paying "bridewealth" to secure a Tragically, governments and societies well to listen. woman's hand in marriage. In many cul around the world have generally ignored this More than simply a "women's issue," vio tures-especially in Africa-the exchange violence against women because much of it lence could thwart other widely held goals has become so commercialized that inflated occurs in the home where historically such vi for human progress in the Third World. bridewealth leaves the man with the dis Study after study has shown that maternal tinct impression that he has "purchased" olence has been sanctioned by religious, cul education is the single most effective way to tural, and legal systems. In more than half of his wife. reduce child mortality-not because it im The notion that bridewealth confers own the States in our own country, for instance, parts new knowledge or skills related to ership was clearly depicted during recent there are circumstances under which it is legal health, but because it erodes fatalism, im parliamentary debates in Papua, New for a man to rape his wife. proves self confidence and changes the Guinea over whether wife-beating should be This week, the Washington Post published power balance within the family. made illegal. Transcripts show that most an excerpt of the new World Watch report, In effect, these studies say that a woman's ministers were violently against the idea of which I urge my colleagues to read. sense of self is critical to reducing infant parliament interfering in "traditional mortality. Yet acts of violence and society's family life." Minister William Wi of North The. article follows: tacit acceptance of them stand as constant [From the Washington Post, Apr. 9, 19891 Waghi argued that wife beating "is an ac reminders to women of their low worth. cepted custom and we are wasting our time THE GLOBAL WAR AGAINST WOMEN Where women's status is critical to achiev debating the issue." Another parliamentari
e This "bullet" symbol identifies statements or insertions which are not spoken by a Member of the Senate on the floor. Matter set in this typeface indicates words inserted or appended, rather than spoken, by a Member of the House on the floor. April 17, 1989 EXTENSIONS OF REMARKS 6809 women are "appropriate" and "safe" targets which is carried out without anesthesia. Not important impetus for reform. Putting vio for abuse, that leads to battering. uncommonly, these complications result in lence against women high on the world Today's cultures have strong historical, re death. agenda is not appeasing a "special interest" ligious and legal legacies that reinforce the The long-term effects, in addition to loss group. It is restoring the birthright of half legitimacy of wife-beating. Under English of all sexual feeling, include chronic urinary of humanity. common law, for example, a husband had tract infections, pelvic infections that can the legal right to discipline his wife-subject lead to infertility, painful intercourse and to a "rule of thumb" that barred him from severe scarring that can cause tearing of THE COST OF HEALTH IN using a stick broader than his thumb. Judi tissue and hemorrhage during childbirth. In CANADA AND THE UNITED cial decisions in England and the United fact, women who are infibulated-the most STATES States upheld this right until well into the severe form of circumcision-must be cut 19th century. Only last week, a New York open on their wedding night to make inter judge let off with only five years' probation course possible, and more cuts are necessary HON. FORTNEY PETE STARK a Chinese immigrant who admitted bludg for delivery of a child. eoning his wife to death. The judge justified Despite these horrific health effects, OF CALIFORNIA the light sentence partly by reference to many still oppose the eradication of this IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES traditional Chinese attitudes toward female practice. As late as June 1988, Muslim reli adultery. gious scholars in Somalia argued that Monday, April 17, 1989 While less overt, the preference for male milder forms of circumcision should be Mr. STARK. Mr. Speaker, patients, employ offspring in many cultures can be as dam maintained to temper female sexuality. ers, government complain about the almost aging and potentially fatal to females as Others defend circumcision as an "impor uncontrolled inflation in the health sector. rape or assault. The same sentiment that tant African tradition." But as the Kenyan Doctors complain about the incredible paper once motivated infanticide is now expressed women's magazine Viva observes: "There is in the systematic neglect of daughters-a nothing 'African' about injustice or vio work and bureaucratic interference they must neglect so severe in some countries that lence, whether it takes the form of mistreat endure as the rest of society's attempts to get girls aged 2 to 4 die at nearly twice the rate ed wives and mothers, or slums or circumci a handle on costs. of boys. sion. Often the very men who ... excuse in Perhaps other societies have done better. "Let it be late, but let it be a son," goes a justice to women with the phrase 'it is Afri Following is a discussion from the March 2, saying in Nepal, a country that shares its can' are wearing three-piece pin-striped 1989 New England Journal of Medicine of strong preference for male children with suits and shiny shoes." costs and cost controls in Canada. If doctors the rest of the Indian subcontinent, as well Fortunately, women have not sat idle in want an end to paperwork and clinical interfer as China, South Korea and Taiwan. In these the face of such abuse. Around the world cultures and others, sons are highly valued they are organizing shelters, lobbying for ence, perhaps they might like the Canadian because only they can perpetuate the family legal reform and fighting the sexism that program-even if it means less increase in line and perform certain religious rituals. underlies violence. income. Even more important, sons represent an Most industrial countries and at least a American interest in the Canadian health economic asset to the family and a source of dozen developing nations now have shelter care system appears to be on the rise, as evi security for parents in their old age. movements to provide refuge for abused denced in a recent three-part article by Igle Studies confirm that where the prefer women and their children. Brazil has estab hart in the Journal. Such interest has been ence for sons is strong, girls receive inferior lished almost 30 all-female police stations intermittent in the past, depending in part medical care and education, and less food. for victims of rape, battering and incest. on the position of national health insurance In Punjab, India, for example, parents And in Africa, women are organizing educa on the U.S. political agenda. In the early spend more than twice as much on medical tion campaigns to combat sexual surgery. 1970s, the most recent period during which care for boy infants as for girls. Elsewhere women have organized in their national health insurance seemed imminent, In fact, the pressure to bear sons is so own defense. In San Juan de Miraflores, a Americans paid considerable attention to great in India and China that women have shantytown of Lima, Peru, women carry the structure, logic, and history of the Ca begun using amniocentesis as a sex identifi whistles that they use to summon other nadian system. At the time, that system had cation test to selectively abort female fe women in case of attack. just been established in its entirety. Al tuses. Until protests forced them to stop, Yet it will take more than the dedicated though its origins and organization were Indian sex detection clinics boldy advertised action of a few women to end crimes of documented, there had been little experi it was better to spend $38 now on terminat gender. Most important is for women world ence with universal, public coverage, and ing a girl than $3,800 later on her dowry. Of wide to recognize their common oppression. data were not yet available on its perform 8,000 fetuses examined at six abortion clin Violence against women cuts across all cul ance. Universal hospital coverage was a ics in Bombay, 7,999 were found to be tures and all socioeconomic groups. Indeed, decade or more old
29-059 0-90-37 (Pt. 5) 6818 EXTENSIONS OF REMARKS April 17, 1989 their way to Khartoum to escape the direct tries, as well as refugees throughout the CONGRESSIONAL CALL TO CON fighting. There, the poorest of the poor, un region and in North America, continued the SCIENCE VIGIL FOR SOVIET assisted by a government that viewed them wait for peace and security. Human rights JEWS as a threat, they were the worst hit victims conditions deteriorated in both Guatemala of August's massive Nile flooding. Most and El Salvador, with refugees continuing remain unassisted to this day, Interdiction to flee those countries and spontaneously HON. NICHOLAS MAVROULES of food supplies by authorities left many ci make their way north. Some Salvadoran ref OF MASSACHUSETTS vilians in the transitional zone between ugees decided to return home, despite great north and south in absolute famine, as well turmoil and risk there. Their decision in IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES as the victims of violent militias. And in the part reflected the privations of their lives in Monday, April 17, 1989 very south, the government was present in Honduran refugee camps. Nicaraguans in only a limited number of garrison towns. Honduras fared somewhat better, but Hon Mr. MAVROULES. Mr. Speaker, I wish to These towns, as well as towns like Kapoeta, extend my support for the Conscience Vigil for controlled by the rebel Sudan People's Lib duras was indicating reluctance to continue eration Army, were ringed with thousands to provide haven for either refugee group. Soviet Jews, sponsored by the Union of Coun of the formerly proud, now dispossessed, Although fighting in the contra war cils for Soviet Jews. often dying southern Sudanese. reached a standstill late in the year, tens of With the ascension of Mikhail Gorbachev to It is hard to believe that a humanitarian thousands of Nicaraguans continued to flee power and the spirit of perestroika sweeping tragedy of this dimension, fully known to the Sandinista regime and the shambles of the Soviet Government, there have been dra governments including our own, could mate an economy beset by war and natural disas matic changes in many areas, including the in ters. rialize with nary a murmur until the outcry creased emigration of refuseniks. This pre of refugees and advocates, the beginnings of A dramatic increase in applications for a media focus, and the burgeoning aware asylum in the United States and Canada, es sents us with a historic opportunity, yet the ness of ordinary people of good will in many pecially from Central Americans, led both United States has thus far failed to take com nations finally began to change the political countries to make it increasingly difficult to plete advantage of it. equities and force a response. file and pursue asylum claims. A U.S. feder In 1979, prior to the Soviet Union's interven Where was the UN? Where was the Orga al judge ruled that the Immigration and tion into Afghanistan, Soviet Jews were emi nization of African Unity? Where was the Naturalization Service used methods "from grating at a rate of about 50,000 per year. Un world's humanitarian machinery in such a subtle persuasion to outright threats and fortunately, this figure was dramatically cur case? Sadly, there is little the international misrepresentations" to coerce and intimi tailed in subsequent years to an annual flow community is obliged to do, and little that it date Salvadoran asylum seekers into aban of just a few hundred. actually does. Such a situation is viewed as doning their asylum claims. the "internal affair" of the country in ques Thanks to a continued relaxation of emi For those committed to the cause of Soviet tion, whose government may well be fully or gration policies in the Soviet Union, more Jewry during this time, success was measure partially responsible for the very existence than 70,000 people left in 1988, predomi in small victories such as the release of Ana of the tragedy in the first place. Protecting nantly ethnic Germans, Armenians, and toly Shchransky and the freeing of Andrei and assisting internally displaced civilians Jews. Sahkarov from Gorky. However, the thou when the responsible government can't or These are welcome developments, al sands of remaining refuseniks, persecuted by won't respond adequately-is a major unre though they challenge the United States solved item for the international humani their countrymen, were not forgotten. tarian agenda. and its resettlement partners to expand mi The liberalization of the Soviet's emigration Millions of people remained internally dis gration opportunities beyond a refugee con policy resulted in the departure of almost placed across South Asia and the Middle text in order to accommodate such large 19,000 Jews in 1988. That figure is expected East as a result of unresolved civil conflicts, numbers. While the reduction of east-west to reach about 30,000 this year. Yet, ironically more often than not involving external conflicts can pave the way for more con structive efforts to resolve some of the our Government is not in sync. The State De powers. Two million displaced persons partment announced unofficially that because within Afghanistan were as obstructed from world's most trying refugee quandaries, returning to their homes as the five million among the greatest challenges will be the of the costs of relocating so many people, in exile in Pakistan and Iran. The exit of north-south variety, low intensity conflicts only 12,000 Soviet Jews can be processed thousands of Soviet troops did not deter in the Third World, often involving brutal this year. those remaining from continuing to engage repression and wrenching dislocation. In my judgment, the State Department's po in brutalities against the Afghan people and The United States has a unique role to sition is shortsighted. First, we must pressure their land. play in setting the tone for international re the administration to increase funding to relo Hundreds of thousands of Sri Lankans re sponse to these refugees and displaced cate emigres. We might consider the option of mained internally displaced or in exile in people. The issue ultimately is one of moral, borrowing a portion of the $30 million balance India despite the signing a year ago of a principled leadership, but too often that peace accord meant to resolve the conflicts leadership does not surface without ordi in the State Department's Emergency Refu in that island nation. Hundreds of thou nary people supplying the motivation. gee and Migration Assistance Fund. Second, sands remained displaced in Lebanon as We are a people of cause. And when a Jews leaving the Soviet Union are processed well, as that country continued to be bat cause catches us, strange and sometimes in Rome and Vienna. Eliminating the Vienna tered by competing warlords and militias. wonderful things happen. The little girl post would save time and money. Finally, Palestinian refugees were still vulnerable to down the well, the ice-bound whales, the more personnel should be added to the Immi violence in Lebanon, as well as the occupied victims of earthquake in Armenia-all these gration and Naturalization Service to process territories of Israel, where refugee camps caught us. quickly the growing backlog. were the scene of pitched battles and collec Refugees and displaced people are victims. tive punishments. Many have contended that the Soviet's mo A few are controversial. But the bulk are tivation for their policy change is to see a dis Although the shootings stopped in the regular people caught up in persecution and Iran-Iraq war, it produced the ironic result violence. As a nation and as individuals, we continuation of the Jackson-Vanik amendment of new waves of repression against the inter which links most-favored-nation trading status nal enemies of both Saddam Hussein and have increasingly made the very tragic error of believing that refugees are one of our directly to freedom of emigration. It is my feel Ayatolla Khomeini. An escalation of arrests ing that the Soviet Union still has much to and executions in Iran clearly signalled to problems, rather than their becoming one Iranian refugees that it was not safe to of our causes. prove on this front. Nevertheless, we must return. Iraq, on the other hand, used the ar We have a chance with a new Administra commend Mr. Gorbachev for his relaxed emi mistice as an opportunity to wage all-out tion to change our course. While dealing gration policy and encourage him to go even war on the Kurds of the mountainous with immigration enforcement, we should further. Similarly, we must prod our own Gov north, displacing hundreds of thousands give the highest priority to preserving a hu ernment to go even further in relocating the within Iraq and causing tens of thousands manitarian response to asylum seekers. Soviet Jews that have a unique and perhaps to flee to neighboring Turkey and Iran. While framing our foreign policy, we should fleeting opportunity to emigrate. We must take Turkey was particularly uneasy with the give a priority of the highest order to new influx, and continued to refuse to grant human rights, to humanitarian assistance, advantage of this new chance to resettle re refugee status to refugees from either Iraq to solutions to refugee movements, all in po fuseniks who have so long been denied the or Iran. litically neutral terms that focus on the vul basic freedoms all Americans enjoy. To this In Central America, civilians displaced by nerability of the victims of persecution and end, I believe there is a lot that can still be warfare and violence within their own coun- conflict. done. April 17, 1989 EXTENSIONS OF REMARKS 6819 BIODEGRADABLE FOOD CON laupapa, a place that was called a living problems but which have been ineffective in TAINERS IN THE HOUSE OF graveyard. doing so. REPRESENTATIVES Instead, Father Damien established the Phi Specifically, the bill would improve the lomena Church. For 16 years he ministered to system by which the Indian Arts and Crafts HON. CLAUDINE SCHNEIDER the physical and spiritual needs of Hansen's Board can license and register trademarks. An OF RHODE ISLAND disease victims until he succumbed to the dis improved system of marks would allow con IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES ease at age 49. sumers to identify genuine products with a Those afflicted with Hansen's disease were high degree of confidence. Monday, April 17, 1989 banished from the conscience of society, yet The bill would also strengthen criminal pen Ms. SCHNEIDER. Mr. Speaker, in conserva Father Damien opened his heart, his eyes, alties for misrepresentation of Indian products, tion, as in so many areas, we in Congress and his arms to their needs and suffering. By and, more importantly, would provide new civil must lead by example. Today, I am introduc living among them and restoring their dignity, remedies by which artisans and others can ing a resolution to remove polystyrene foam he also uplifted mankind's dignity. obtain compensation from those who partici products from the food services of the House It gives me joy that we continue to revere pate in fraudulent sales practices. of Representatives. Father Damien 100 years after his death. Provisions are also included to strengthen These nonbiodegradable foam products are the ability of the Indian Arts and Craft Board not only a significant environmental hazard to screen complaints for further action by the LEGISLATION TO PROTECT Justice Department. but a symbol of waste and litter. Although INDIAN ARTS AND CRAFTS ozone-depleting chlorofluorocarbons [CFC's] I introduce the bill knowing that changes will are being phased out of polystyrene foam pro likely be made, particularly in how the term duction, the problem of disposal has not been HON. JON L. KYL "Indian" is defined. I am open to comment adequately addressed. When one throws OF ARIZONA about how to deal with this very important, yet away a polystyrene foam container, it goes to IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES sensitive issue, and will look to the committee either a landfill-where it may survive for dec Monday, April 17, 1989 to help craft a definition during markup. ades-or an incinerator-where its combus I invite my colleagues to join me and Con tion increases air pollution. Mr. KYL. Mr. Speaker, I rise today with my gressman CAMPBELL in cosponsoring this initi My resolution would require that disposable distinguished colleague from Colorado, the ative. I include the text of the bill to be reprint trays, dishes, and beverage containers used in Honorable BEN NIGHTHORSE CAMPBELL, to in ed in the RECORD at this point: the food services be made of biodegradable troduce legislation to better protect Indian arts and crafts from counterfeiting and misrepre H.R.- material. This action is not meant to impugn Be it enacted by the Senate and House of the multiple uses of polystyrene foam prod sentation in the marketplace. For many Native American families, the sale Representatives of the United States of ucts, which had widespread applications America in Congress assembled, throughout our economy; rather, it is intended of their arts and crafts can be their sole source of income. In fact, several weeks ago, SECTION 1. DECLARATION REGARDING REGULA to promote the use of biodegradable or more TION OF TRADE IN INDIAN ARTS AND readily recyclable materials in the food service when I visited the small community of Sand CRAFTS. sector, which has such a high consumption Springs, AZ, I met just such a family, whose Clause 3 of section 8 of article I of the rate. Navajo rugs yield their sole source of support. Constitution of the United States confers on Mr. Speaker, I do not expect the House of These are not wealthy people. They struggle Congress the power to regulate commerce Representatives to make a significant change from day to day to meet the expenses of a with the Indian tribes. In the recognition of modest lifestyle. If they were allowed to keep this authority and the obligation it entails, in our Nation's solid waste disposal problems the Congress finds and declares that trade as a result of this action. Symbolically, howev more sheep, they told me, they could sell more rugs and improve their standard of in Indian arts and crafts shall be protected. er, eliminating polystyrene foam products SEC. 2. POWERS OF INDIAN ARTS AND CRAFTS would take advantage of the groundswell of living. Yet, when hardworking Native American ar BOARD. public concern over the quality of our environ Section 2 of the Act entitled "An Act to ment. tisans try to market their crafts, they can find promote the development of Indian arts and Today, Senator JOHN HEINZ and I are coin that prices are constrained by cheap counter crafts and to create a board to assist there troducing resolutions to eliminate the use of feit imports, or products that are simply mis in, and for other purposes" <25 U.S.C. 305a> nonbiodegradable, disposable containers in represented by merchants as being authentic is amended- the U.S. Congress. I encourage my colleagues Indian artwork. <1 >in the first sentence- The Commerce Department, in a 1985 by striking "the Board" and inserting to join me and take a symbolic and actual "the Secretary of the Interior through the step toward a more ecologically sound food report to Congress, estimated that imported imitation Native American handicrafts are si Board"; and services program. by striking "Indian wards of the Gov phoning off 1O to 20 percent from genuine ernment" and inserting "Indian individ manufacturers' markets. Commerce also uals"; and TRIBUTE TO FATHER DAMIEN found that much of the counterfeit market is (2) by amending clause (g) to read as fol made up of jewelry that undersells the genu lows: "
••••• ·-·~-"--- _, _, .._. --..l•---"'--~4..~.JL.--L..~~~ I " April 17, 1989 EXTENSIONS OF REMARKS 6831 JUNES CANCELLATIONS APRIL 20 9:30 a.m. 10:00 a.m. Commerce, Science, and Transportation APRIL 18 Appropriations Consumer Subcommittee 2:00 p.m. VA, HUD, and Independent Agencies Sub To continue hearings on proposed legis Appropriations committee lation authorizing funds for the Feder Legislative Branch Subcommittee To hold hearings on proposed budget es al Trade Commission. To hold hearings on proposed budget es timates for fiscal year 1990 for the SR-253 timates for fiscal year 1990 for the Federal Emergency Management Legislative Branch. Agency. JUNE 13 SD-116 SD-192 2:00 p.m. Appropriations APRIL 19 Foreign Operations Subcommittee 9:30 a.m. To hold hearings on proposed budget es Governmental Affairs timates for fiscal year 1990 for foreign To hold hearings on trade and technolo assistance programs. gy issues. SD-138 SD-342