Katie Mead recently wrote an article for Prevention of Violence Against Women Week (April 22–28). I include an excerpt:
When a woman is abused and her children see it (whether it be emotional, sexual, financial or physical abuse), they are also victims of violence. When we talk about Prevention of Violence Against Women, we need to expand the definition to include their children. We must continue to focus on interrupting the inter-generational cycle of violence — children learn to accept violence as a way of life and abusers are made, not born.
Everybody deserves to live a life free of violence; everyone deserves the chance to reach their own potential and to contribute fully to their family and their society (from the provincial declaration re: Violence Prevention Week). The United Nations recognizes this as an inalienable human right — we must work together to ensure that right is a reality for all.
Prevention of Violence Against Women Week is as relevant now as it was when it was created. Organizations like SOWINS will continue to work with women and children to heal and counteract the effects of violence. As a society, we need to work together to stop violence from happening in the first place. We must insist that violence prevention remain a societal initiative and that resources for all involved, including abusers, exist. We must demand that education and public awareness campaigns continue until this issue is brought into the light and the traditional stigma of shame has been eradicated. If we all have the courage to look at issues of violence, listen to the women and the children who have experienced it and refuse to accept violence as ‘normal’, we can be part of a solution. Dealing with the after-effects of violence is crucial, but prevention is the key to a society without domestic violence.
Although she refers to some local events (in Canada), the article by Katie Mead contains some valuable information and an important call to end violence against women.
We no longer live in the cave man days. I believe we have the resources as a society to eliminate the systemic prevalence of violence against women. We can end rape. We can end domestic violence. We can do it.
As suggested in the article above, we need to not only provide care and treatment for the victims and perpetrates of these violent acts, but also we need to prevent violence from happening in the first place by such methods as raising awareness, teaching self-defense, and staying alert.
What do you think?
