“From Peace in the Home to Peace in the World: Let’s Challenge Militarism and End Violence Against Women!”

This is the theme for the 16 Days of Activism Against Gender Violence.  Organizers say that militarism creates a culture of fear and promotes violent forms of masculinity which endanger women.  According to the United Nations around 90% of war casualties are civilians, mostly women and children. A century ago 90% of those who lost their lives were military personnel.

This year the 16 Days Campaign’s focus on militarism centers on three priority areas:

1. Violence by State Actors such as army and police, who believe they can commit crimes with impunity and use the need for “security” as an excuse for violence and intimidation. A recent report by the ROJ Women Association revealed that Kurdish women activists in Turkey regularly endure horrific acts of violence by Turkish security forces including torture, sexual abuse, sexual harassment and psychological abuse. Unfortunately, only 10% of the women who endure such violence come forward to share their stories, and even then, they are regularly dismissed by the State. As is the case in so many other instances of violence against women, if there is no proper punishment for perpetrators, the violence will continue indefinitely.

2. The Role of Small Arms such as guns and machetes. According to the The International Action Network on Small Arms (IANSA) women’s network  there are nearly 900 million small arms in the world today, and more than 75% are in the hands of private individuals—mostly men. Having a small weapon in the home increases the overall risk of someone being murdered by 41% and for women the risk is nearly tripled.  Here’s a short video from Switzerland advocating for the removal of firearms from the home:

[youtube=http://youtu.be/E8atY9wsWKk]

3. Sexual Violence during and after conflict.  After a conflict ends, sexual violence continues as a tactic to reinforce hierarchies and humiliate women and their communities. Many women’s organizations have questioned the use of terms like “post-conflict” when brutal violence still takes place on a daily basis. In the Democratic Republic of Congo, the Women’s International League for Peace and Freedom, estimates that 420,000 women per year are subject to sexual violence.  Eve Ensler’s V-Day is one organization dedicated to ending violence in countries in conflict like the DRC.  If you want to take action now to end rape and gender violence in conflict zones, you can sign this petition from the International Campaign to Stop Rape and Violence in Conflict.

At Nellie’s we support many women who are dealing with trauma from militarism in Canada and around the world. Some of our staff have, themselves, experienced and witnessed this trauma and tomorrow we will share one of their stories.