DOCSLIB.ORG

Philadelphia University Summer 2008 Research Project Notes

Total Page：16

File Type：pdf, Size：1020Kb

Download full-text PDF Read full-text
Philadelphia University Summer 2008 Research Project Notes CORE Metadata, citation and similar papers at core.ac.uk Provided by Directory of Open Access Journals Eurasian Journal of Social Sciences, 1(1), 2013, 50-60 EURASIAN JOURNAL OF SOCIAL SCIENCES http://www.econjournals.net REDUCING NON-CONSENSUAL BRIDE KIDNAPPING IN KYRGYZSTAN Russell Kleinbach Corresponding Author: Philadelphia University, USA. Email: [email protected] Gazbubu Babaiarova Kyz Korgon Institute, Kyrgyzstan. Email: [email protected] Abstract Bride kidnapping in Kyrgyzstan is the act of abducting a woman to marry her and includes actions, ranging from consensual eloping to forceful kidnapping and rape. This paper reviews the current context and research on bride kidnapping and describes a program that shows promise in preventing bride kidnapping. This program was tested in two studies, one in small villages (2008-2009), and one in Karakol City (2011-2012). These studies provide evidence that the program can help reduce the rate of bride kidnapping from approximately 1/2 to approximately 1/4 of marriages. Analysis of the practice and the economic, political and cultural changes in Kyrgyzstan in the last century shows how this program can be effective by shifting the focus from law and punishment to a discourse framed by tradition, family, honor and shame, and using the assumption from Gandhi's Satyagraha that truth is force. Keywords: Kyrgyzstan, Bride Kidnapping, Ala Kachuu, Marriage, Satyagraha 1. Background (Historic, Economic and Cultural Context of Bride Kidnapping) “Men make their own history, but they do not make it just as they please; they do not make it under circumstances chosen by themselves, but under circumstances directly encountered, given and transmitted from the past. The tradition of all the dead generations weighs like a nightmare on the brain of the living.” (Marx, 1963, p.15) Bride kidnapping (kyz ala kachuu) in Kyrgyzstan (a former Soviet Republic) is the act of abducting a woman to marry her and includes a variety of actions, ranging from consensual eloping to forceful kidnapping and rape. Previous research has described the practice in general (Amsler and Kleinbach, 1999; Open Society Institute, 2010), measured the frequency (Kleinbach, 2003), identified it as an affirmation of Kyrgyz male ethnic identity (Handrahan, 2004), documented its increase over the last half century (Kleinbach et al. 2005), shown that it was uncommon prior to the Soviet period and thus not an “old tradition” (Kleinbach and Salimjanova, 2007) and discussed it as part of the discourse on gender and social change (Borboieva, 2012). Non-consensual bride kidnapping is popularly accepted as a traditional practice even though it violates the fundamental human rights (UN General Assembly 1948; 1993) of approximately 1/3 of Kyrgyz women (Kleinbach, 2003). It is a violation of Kyrgyz civil law According to Articles 154 and 155 of the Criminal Code of the Kyrgyz Republic, (criminal liability for "kidnapping a woman to marry against her will" in the form of deprivation of liberty is a term of five to seven years. For forcing a girl into marriage who has not attained the age of 17, R. Kleinbach and G. Babayarova / Eurasian Journal of Social Sciences, 1(1), 2013, 50-60 the "groom" could go to prison for a term of 7 to 10 years). It is also a violation of Islamic law and Kyrgyz traditional law of adat (Kleinbach and Salimjanova, 2007). Kidnapping is common and can be deadly. Recently in Karakol City there were at least 4 suicides by girls within weeks/months of being kidnapped (3 in 2010-2012 and 1 in 2006). In two other cases where girls died, one in Balykchy and one in Naryn, the girls (according to their parents) may have been killed and not committed suicide. In 2010, there was a case where a girl was rescued from the kidnapping family only to return and marry the kidnapper after her family was threatened with physical harm. Sometimes the shame/violence is directed inward as the recent case where a young man committed suicide after kidnapping three girls, all of whom refused to stay. Usually it is the girl who dies as in this case: In August 2007 in one of the villages of Bazar-Korgon district of Jalalabat oblast, a 17 year old girl, bride kidnapping victim committed suicide. When she was kidnapped and taken to the boy’s home she got out of the kidnapper’s place saying that she was not a virgin. Afterwards everyone in the village spread the rumors about her not being a virgin. At her home she did not have peace. Her grandmother (her mom had passed away) cursed and yelled at her day and night saying bad things. Her relatives said that she shamed her whole family and now nobody else would marry her and she needed to go back to the kidnapper. After having these hardships and pressure by her own family the kidnapping victim went to the barn of their neighbor and hung herself with the note in her pocket: "tell my dad I am still a virgin; I hope I am leaving for a peaceful place now." Villagers blamed her saying that she was truly not a virgin or psychologically ill, otherwise she wouldn’t commit a suicide. [Account given to one of the authors] International agencies such as Human Rights Watch (2006), the Committee on the Convention on Elimination of all forms of Discrimination against Women (UN General Assembly 1981), and the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) have linked non- consensual bride kidnapping with domestic violence and human trafficking, and have urged NGOs and Kyrgyz law enforcement officials to address the problem. "We appreciate cooperation with the Kyrgyz authorities in human trafficking. Kyrgyzstan has joined a number of agreements in this dimension. At the earliest possible time, particular attention is to be paid not only to the supplier- states, but also countries in which slave-trade is widely spread. We are going to fight not only sex enslavement, but also kidnapping of women, as a way of marriage proposal, and child panhandling. We believe it is crucial to develop relationships with the non-profit sector and law enforcement bodies to raise chances for effective outcomes," the OSCE message reads. (Muller, 2007) Lilly Salimjanova, as part of a Forum of Women's NGOs of Kyrgyzstan (2008), using data from the 2008 part of this study, testified in Geneva at the fall, 2008 meeting of the Committee on the Convention on Elimination of all forms of Discrimination against Women. The recommendations of the Committee on the Convention on Elimination of all forms of Discrimination against Women forty-second session (November, 2008) on Kyrgyzstan, included the following: 21. The Committee remains seriously concerned at the continuing existence of bride abduction despite its prohibition in the law and notes that this matter was, also highlighted in its previous concluding observations. It is also concerned that this practice results in forced marriages, in contradiction to article 16 of the Convention. 22. The Committee recommends immediate action by the State party to ensure the full respect of the laws penalizing bride abduction, forced marriage, and polygamy. In particular, the Committee urges the State party to take appropriate measures in order to have all cases involving these phenomena recorded, investigated, and prosecuted, even in the absence of a formal complaint. The Committee also recommends that the State party 51 R. Kleinbach and G. Babayarova / Eurasian Journal of Social Sciences, 1(1), 2013, 50-60 take urgent and effective measures, including the training of the judiciary and law enforcement officials and constant and large public awareness-raising campaigns, to eliminate these practices. The role of the media must be of crucial importance in this respect. The State party is also invited to conduct research on the causes for the existence and reinforcement of these phenomena, in order to better understand what would be the most adequate measures for their eradication. [Committee on the Elimination of Discrimination against Women, 2008] In 2011 the Kyrgyz ombudsman’s website announced a month-long campaign against kidnapping women to force them into marriage. The campaign, part of a month-long human rights promotion, is timed to end on Human Rights Day, December 10. “Bridal kidnapping is one of the worst violations of human rights, an infringement of a girl’s honour and dignity,” Ombudsman Tursunbek Akun wrote. “(My office’s) purpose is to dispel the myth that bridal kidnapping is a national custom.” Law enforcement agencies, NGOs, the ombudsman’s office and the Education Ministry will co-operate to fight the problem, he said, adding that Kyrgyz men kidnap 15,000 to 16,000 brides yearly. Kidnapping is a crime under Kyrgyz law. [Osmonaliyev, 2011; see also Washington Times, 2011] In January 2013, the president of Kyrgyzstan approved legislation toughening the penalty for bride-kidnapping. Sentences for forcing women into marriage against their will could now range up to 10 years (UN Women, 2013). Prior to the Soviet era, Kyrgyzstan was primarily a nomadic, pastoral economy with a decentralized, patriarchal, patrilocal and patrilineal society with exogamous marriage. By tradition and consistent with Islamic law, marriages were arranged between families for young men and girls (often at a very young age) but with their consent, at least formally. Husbands were usually considerably older than their brides. Dowry and bride-price were exchanged and marriages often involved expensive celebrations and exchange of gifts to extended members of the families. There was little chance for young men and girls to become romantically interested before marriages were arranged because of the youthful age and protective isolation of girls. In this context girls were relatively powerless and bride kidnapping (stealing) was rare and severely punished, i.e., girls were labor/property to be exchanged between parents or men (Kleinbach and Salimjanova, 2007).
Load more

Recommended publications
  • Bride Kidnapping and Labour Supply Behaviour of Married Kyrgyz Women
    DISCUSSION PAPER SERIES IZA DP No. 14133 Bride Kidnapping and Labour Supply Behaviour of Married Kyrgyz Women G. Reza Arabsheibani Alma Kudebayeva Altay Mussurov FEBRUARY 2021 DISCUSSION PAPER SERIES IZA DP No. 14133 Bride Kidnapping and Labour Supply Behaviour of Married Kyrgyz Women G. Reza Arabsheibani LSE, University of Roehampton and IZA Alma Kudebayeva KIMEP University and CERGE-EI Altay Mussurov KIMEP University FEBRUARY 2021 Any opinions expressed in this paper are those of the author(s) and not those of IZA. Research published in this series may include views on policy, but IZA takes no institutional policy positions. The IZA research network is committed to the IZA Guiding Principles of Research Integrity. The IZA Institute of Labor Economics is an independent economic research institute that conducts research in labor economics and offers evidence-based policy advice on labor market issues. Supported by the Deutsche Post Foundation, IZA runs the world’s largest network of economists, whose research aims to provide answers to the global labor market challenges of our time. Our key objective is to build bridges between academic research, policymakers and society. IZA Discussion Papers often represent preliminary work and are circulated to encourage discussion. Citation of such a paper should account for its provisional character. A revised version may be available directly from the author. ISSN: 2365-9793 IZA – Institute of Labor Economics Schaumburg-Lippe-Straße 5–9 Phone: +49-228-3894-0 53113 Bonn, Germany Email: [email protected] www.iza.org IZA DP No. 14133 FEBRUARY 2021 ABSTRACT Bride Kidnapping and Labour Supply Behaviour of Married Kyrgyz Women Using data from the 2011 and 2016 Life in Kyrgyzstan surveys, we examine Kyrgyz women’s labour supply elasticities at the extensive margin.
    [Show full text]
  • The Hmong Culture: Kinship, Marriage & Family Systems
    THE HMONG CULTURE: KINSHIP, MARRIAGE & FAMILY SYSTEMS By Teng Moua A Research Paper Submitted in Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Master of Science Degree With a Major in Marriage and Family Therapy Approved: 2 Semester Credits _________________________ Thesis Advisor The Graduate College University of Wisconsin-Stout May 2003 i The Graduate College University of Wisconsin-Stout Menomonie, Wisconsin 54751 ABSTRACT Moua__________________________Teng_____________________(NONE)________ (Writer) (Last Name) (First) (Initial) The Hmong Culture: Kinship, Marriage & Family Systems_____________________ (Title) Marriage & Family Therapy Dr. Charles Barnard May, 2003___51____ (Graduate Major) (Research Advisor) (Month/Year) (No. of Pages) American Psychological Association (APA) Publication Manual_________________ (Name of Style Manual Used In This Study) The purpose of this study is to describe the traditional Hmong kinship, marriage and family systems in the format of narrative from the writer’s experiences, a thorough review of the existing literature written about the Hmong culture in these three (3) categories, and two structural interviews of two Hmong families in the United States. This study only gives a general overview of the traditional Hmong kinship, marriage and family systems as they exist for the Hmong people in the United States currently. Therefore, it will not cover all the details and variations regarding the traditional Hmong kinship, marriage and family which still guide Hmong people around the world. Also, it will not cover the ii whole life course transitions such as childhood, adolescence, adulthood, late adulthood or the aging process or life core issues. This study is divided into two major parts: a review of literature and two interviews of the two selected Hmong families (one traditional & one contemporary) in the Minneapolis-St.
    [Show full text]
  • Constructing Post-Soviet Identities. an Analysis of Representations of Bride Kidnapping in Kyrgyz Cinema
    Constructing post-soviet identities. An analysis of Representations of bride kidnapping in Kyrgyz cinema. Sandra Mack Central Asia has experienced two major transformations of society in the 20 th century. Firstly, the establishment of Soviet rule was accompanied by an attack against the traditional Muslim and (semi)- nomadic society. Secondly, with the collapse of the Soviet Union the key ideologies on the liberation of the Soviet women and nations have been ‘dissolved’ overnight. Indeed, the Post-Soviet struggle for identities is most evident in two areas, which had been a main target of Soviet ideologies: gender and ethnicity. The paper examines how contemporary Kyrgyz cinema supports and encourages images of bride kidnapping as an act of producing both ethnic and gender identities that fill the gap left by the sudden break-up of the Soviet Union. This analysis of local popular media reveals the discrepancies between local discourses of tradition and the official government policy attempting to present Kyrgyzstan as a modern democracy. Even though bride kidnappings are prohibited by law and have been throughout the Soviet and Post- Soviet period, the practice is still rampant and today even more popular than during the Soviet period (Kleinbach et. al. 2005). Research has shown that this strong and sudden increase is a marker of cultural change of the Post-Soviet Era (Borbieva 2012). Besides dominating reconfigurations of gender roles in Post-Soviet Kyrgyzstan, the impact of gendered constructions of national identity should not be underestimated (Handrahan 2004, Yuval-Davis 1993). Both gender and national identities are continuously re-visited and re-invented through the repetition of acts, practices and habits, a big part of which takes place through mass media (Bhaba 1990; Butler 1997; Parker 1992).
    [Show full text]
  • Preventing Violent Extremism in Kyrgyzstan
    UNITED STATES INSTITUTE OF PEACE www.usip.org SPECIAL REPORT 2301 Constitution Ave., NW • Washington, DC 20037 • 202.457.1700 • fax 202.429.6063 ABOUT THE REPORT Jacob Zenn and Kathleen Kuehnast This report offers perspectives on the national and regional dynamics of violent extremism with respect to Kyrgyzstan. Derived from a study supported by the United States Institute of Peace (USIP) to explore the potential for violent extremism in Central Asia, it is based on extensive interviews and a Preventing Violent countrywide Peace Game with university students at Kyrgyz National University in June 2014. Extremism in Kyrgyzstan ABOUT THE AUTHORS Jacob Zenn is an analyst on Eurasian and African affairs, a legal adviser on international law and best practices related to civil society and freedom of association, and a nonresident research Summary fellow at the Center of Shanghai Cooperation Organization Studies in China, the Center of Security Programs in Kazakhstan, • Kyrgyzstan, having twice overthrown autocratic leaders in violent uprisings, in 2005 and again and The Jamestown Foundation in Washington, DC. Dr. Kathleen in 2010, is the most politically open and democratic country in Central Asia. Kuehnast is a sociocultural anthropologist and an expert on • Many Kyrgyz observers remain concerned about the country’s future. They fear that underlying Kyrgyzstan, where she conducted field work in the early 1990s. An adviser on the Central Asia Fellows Program at the socioeconomic conditions and lack of public services—combined with other factors, such as Elliott School of International Affairs at George Washington drug trafficking from Afghanistan, political manipulation, regional instability in former Soviet University, she is a member of the Council on Foreign Union countries and Afghanistan, and foreign-imported religious ideologies—create an envi- Relations and has directed the Center for Gender and ronment in which violent extremism can flourish.
    [Show full text]
  • Marten Stol WOMEN in the ANCIENT NEAR EAST
    Marten Stol WOMEN IN THE ANCIENT NEAR EAST Marten Stol Women in the Ancient Near East Marten Stol Women in the Ancient Near East Translated by Helen and Mervyn Richardson ISBN 978-1-61451-323-0 e-ISBN (PDF) 978-1-61451-263-9 e-ISBN (EPUB) 978-1-5015-0021-3 This work is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial- NoDerivs 3.0 License. For details go to http://creativecommons.org/licenses/ by-nc-nd/3.0/ Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data A CIP catalog record for this book has been applied for at the Library of Congress. Bibliographic information published by the Deutsche Nationalbibliothek The Deutsche Nationalbibliothek lists this publication in the Deutsche Nationalbibliografie; detailed bibliographic data are available on the Internet at http://dnb.dnb.de. Original edition: Vrouwen van Babylon. Prinsessen, priesteressen, prostituees in de bakermat van de cultuur. Uitgeverij Kok, Utrecht (2012). Translated by Helen and Mervyn Richardson © 2016 Walter de Gruyter Inc., Boston/Berlin Cover Image: Marten Stol Typesetting: Dörlemann Satz GmbH & Co. KG, Lemförde Printing and binding: cpi books GmbH, Leck ♾ Printed on acid-free paper Printed in Germany www.degruyter.com Table of Contents Introduction 1 Map 5 1 Her outward appearance 7 1.1 Phases of life 7 1.2 The girl 10 1.3 The virgin 13 1.4 Women’s clothing 17 1.5 Cosmetics and beauty 47 1.6 The language of women 56 1.7 Women’s names 58 2 Marriage 60 2.1 Preparations 62 2.2 Age for marrying 66 2.3 Regulations 67 2.4 The betrothal 72 2.5 The wedding 93 2.6
    [Show full text]
  • Prosecuting Bride Kidnapping: the Law Isn't Enough; Aligning Cultural Norms with the Law
    Case Western Reserve Journal of International Law Volume 53 Issue 1 Article 16 2021 Prosecuting Bride Kidnapping: The Law Isn't Enough; Aligning Cultural Norms with the Law Alexandria McKenna Lundberg Follow this and additional works at: https://scholarlycommons.law.case.edu/jil Part of the International Law Commons Recommended Citation Alexandria McKenna Lundberg, Prosecuting Bride Kidnapping: The Law Isn't Enough; Aligning Cultural Norms with the Law, 53 Case W. Res. J. Int'l L. 475 (2021) Available at: https://scholarlycommons.law.case.edu/jil/vol53/iss1/16 This Note is brought to you for free and open access by the Student Journals at Case Western Reserve University School of Law Scholarly Commons. It has been accepted for inclusion in Case Western Reserve Journal of International Law by an authorized administrator of Case Western Reserve University School of Law Scholarly Commons. Case Western Reserve Journal of International Law 53 (2021) Prosecuting Bride Kidnapping: The Law Isn’t Enough; Aligning Cultural Norms with the Law Alexandria McKenna Lundberg* Abstract The struggle between cultural and legal norms suggests that more than a change in law is necessary to change cultural practices. If law enforcement is not influenced by existing cultural norms, the law may have little effect in prosecuting bride kidnapping. This Note, focusing on Kyrgyzstan, argues that current legal responses to bride kidnapping are insufficient to protect vulnerable women. Instead, a more comprehensive strategy—like that of addressing female genital mutilation—would better address the factors and settings that create circumstances of vulnerability and violence. Table of Contents Abstract ......................................................................................... 475 Table of Contents .........................................................................
    [Show full text]
  • Positive Deviance and Child Marriage by Abduction in the Sidama Zone of Ethiopia Ashley N
    Antioch University AURA - Antioch University Repository and Archive Student & Alumni Scholarship, including Dissertations & Theses Dissertations & Theses 2014 Positive Deviance and Child Marriage by Abduction in the Sidama Zone of Ethiopia Ashley N. Lackovich-Van Gorp Antioch University - PhD Program in Leadership and Change Follow this and additional works at: http://aura.antioch.edu/etds Part of the African Studies Commons, Community Psychology Commons, Developmental Psychology Commons, Family, Life Course, and Society Commons, Gender and Sexuality Commons, Politics and Social Change Commons, Social Psychology Commons, and the Sociology of Culture Commons Recommended Citation Lackovich-Van Gorp, Ashley N., "Positive Deviance and Child Marriage by Abduction in the Sidama Zone of Ethiopia" (2014). Dissertations & Theses. 150. http://aura.antioch.edu/etds/150 This Dissertation is brought to you for free and open access by the Student & Alumni Scholarship, including Dissertations & Theses at AURA - Antioch University Repository and Archive. It has been accepted for inclusion in Dissertations & Theses by an authorized administrator of AURA - Antioch University Repository and Archive. For more information, please contact [email protected], [email protected]. POSITIVE DEVIANCE AND CHILD MARRIAGE BY ABDUCTION IN THE SIDAMA ZONE OF ETHIOPIA ASHLEY N. LACKOVICH-VAN GORP A DISSERTATION Submitted to the Ph.D. in Leadership and Change Program of Antioch University in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy
    [Show full text]
  • Models of Ala-Kachuu
    Page 1 of 38 FORCED MARRIAGE: Models of Ala-kachuu Charles Becker Department of Economics, Duke University Susan Steiner Leibniz Universität Hannover and IZA Lin Zhao Department of Economics, Duke University For presentation at the Association for Comparative Economic Studies sessions Allied Social Science Associations Annual Meetings Philadelphia, PA January 4-7, 2018 Abstract This paper provides an economic analysis of the practice of bride abduction based on a neoclassical model of family fertility and consumption. The point of reference is the Kyrgyz Republic in Central Asia, though the practice is not unique to Central Asia. We show that social acceptance of bride kidnapping is rational behavior for an elder generation that values offspring more than the younger generation. It is also rational for prospective grooms seeking to lower wedding costs, and for some potential brides who seek to increase their chances of getting married. Keywords: Forced Marriage, Bride Kidnapping, Marriage Models, Sorting Models, Kyrgyzstan JEL classification: I12, J12 Acknowledgements: We are indebted to many colleagues and associates for discussions of modeling and forced marriage. Particular recognition with respect to the theoretical aspect of modeling is due to Damir Esenaliev, Aliya Ibragimova, Joshua Jacobs, Bakhrom Mirkasimov, Akylai Muktarbek kyzy, and Kani Omurzakova, We are also grateful for comments received on related presentations at Duke University, the 3rd annual Life in Kyrgyzstan conference, the New Economics School, and Stockholm University’s SITE 25th anniversary conference. All errors, omissions, and faulty interpretations remain our own. Becker, Steiner & Zhao Bride Kidnapping 31-Dec-17 Page 2 of 38 I. INTRODUCTION Although conventional “love marriage” is perceived as the standard type of marriage in modern societies, especially among the middle and upper classes, other types of marriage still play important role in forming families elsewhere.
    [Show full text]
  • Bride Kidnapping in Kyrgyzstan Dinara Ismailova, IREX Exchange
    Bride Kidnapping in Kyrgyzstan Dinara Ismailova, IREX exchange-student from Kyrgyzstan at Carroll College, Montana Women are very important and crucial part of every society. As Charles Malik, former President of the United Nations General Assembly, said: “The fastest way to change society is to mobilize the women of the world.” However, even if Kyrgyzstan is considered as democratic country, I think women’s rights in Kyrgyzstan are prone to be limited due to common tradition of “bride kidnapping.” Bride kidnapping or “ala kachuu” which is directly translated as “grab and run” is a marriage by abduction or marriage by capture. Although bride kidnapping has been illegal in Kyrgyzstan since 1994, it is a law that is rarely enforced, and one in three rural ethnic Kyrgyz women have been forced into such marriages. I think this “barbaric” tradition is very shameful truth about Kyrgyzstan which needs thorough consideration and taking immediate measures. Participating in a Conference "Women of the Mountains" gives me great opportunity to present this unusual to other countries tradition of “bride kidnapping.” I see bride kidnapping as a real threat for Kyrgyz women in the present and the future as well. First, bride kidnapping is a violation of civil rights of Kyrgyz women. Every woman is a human being who needs a respect. However, some see a woman as a “child-machine” which also includes such functions as cleaning, ironing, cooking, and washing. What a “convenient thing” for potential grooms who kidnap brides as if they are an animal which also includes so many functions in only one set.
    [Show full text]
  • The Birth of Chinese Feminism Columbia & Ko, Eds
    & liu e-yin zHen (1886–1920?) was a theo- ko Hrist who figured centrally in the birth , karl of Chinese feminism. Unlike her contem- , poraries, she was concerned less with China’s eds fate as a nation and more with the relation- . , ship among patriarchy, imperialism, capi- talism, and gender subjugation as global historical problems. This volume, the first translation and study of He-Yin’s work in English, critically reconstructs early twenti- eth-century Chinese feminist thought in a transnational context by juxtaposing He-Yin The Bir Zhen’s writing against works by two better- known male interlocutors of her time. The editors begin with a detailed analysis of He-Yin Zhen’s life and thought. They then present annotated translations of six of her major essays, as well as two foundational “The Birth of Chinese Feminism not only sheds light T on the unique vision of a remarkable turn-of- tracts by her male contemporaries, Jin h of Chinese the century radical thinker but also, in so Tianhe (1874–1947) and Liang Qichao doing, provides a fresh lens through which to (1873–1929), to which He-Yin’s work examine one of the most fascinating and com- responds and with which it engages. Jin, a poet and educator, and Liang, a philosopher e plex junctures in modern Chinese history.” Theory in Transnational ssential Texts Amy— Dooling, author of Women’s Literary and journalist, understood feminism as a Feminism in Twentieth-Century China paternalistic cause that liberals like them- selves should defend. He-Yin presents an “This magnificent volume opens up a past and alternative conception that draws upon anar- conjures a future.
    [Show full text]
  • Situational Analysis on Child, Early and Forced Marriage in Vietnam, Laos, Myanmar and Cambodia
    Situational Analysis on Child, Early and Forced Marriage in Vietnam, Laos, Myanmar and Cambodia. By Ashley D. Jordana 1 Table of Contents Glossary of Abbreviations 3 Definitions 4 Executive Summary 5 Introduction 6 Vietnam 7 Laos 15 Myanmar 21 Cambodia 27 Case Study Cambodia 34 General and Key Recommendations 40 2 Glossary of Abbreviations AMS ASEAN Member State ASEAN Association of Southeast Asian Nations CAT The Convention Against Torture, and Other Cruel Inhuman or Degrading Treatment or Punishment CEFM Child, Early and Forced Marriage CRC The Convention on the Rights of the Child ECCC Extraordinary Chambers in the Courts of Cambodia ICRC International Committee of the Red Cross ICCPR International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights ILO International Labor Organization MoI Ministry of Interior MoJ Ministry of Justice NGO Non-Governmental Organization OHCH Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights R RC Registered children that receive sponsorship through World Vision UN United Nations UNICE United Nations Children’s Fund F WV World Vision 3 Definitions “Child Marriage”: The United Nations defines ‘child marriage’ as a formal or informal union either between two children, or one child and an adult before the age of 18. “Early Marriage”: This is a term used to describe a legal or customary union involving a person below the age of 18 years. The Human Rights Council states that: “an early marriage can also refer to marriages where both spouses are 18 or older but other factors make them unready to consent to marriage, such as their level of physical, emotional, sexual and psychosocial development, or a lack of information regarding the person’s life options”.
    [Show full text]
  • Child Marriage in Georgia (Overview)
    Child Marriage in Georgia (Overview) If I could, I would have changed everything except giving birth to my first child. I would have given more time to my career. I would have given more time to myself. For a girl, marriage can —Child spouse, Tbilisi mean the end of her education, can set aside Child marriages her chances of a vocation Early or child marriage is the union, whether official or not, of two persons, at least one of whom is under 18 years of age.1 By virtue or career, and can steal of being children, child spouses are considered to be incapable from her foundational life of giving full consent, meaning that child marriages should be considered a violation of human rights and the rights of the child. choices. Child marriage is not a rare occurrence in Georgia and is linked to gender inequality, among other factors. In addition, the factors that trigger child marriage are not homogenous and vary according —Dr. Babatunde to religious, ethnic, and regional differences. Osotimehin, Executive Child marriage is a gendered phenomenon that affects girls and boys in different ways. Overall, the number of boys in child marriages Director, UNFPA around the world is significantly lower than that of girls. Girl child spouses are also vulnerable to domestic violence and sexual abuse within relationships that are unequal, and if they become pregnant, often experience complications during pregnancy and childbirth, as their bodies are not ready for childbearing. Upon marrying, both boys and girls often have to leave education to enter the workforce and/or take up domestic responsibilities at home.
    [Show full text]